Divergent
by Idle.Inkling
Summary: It may have been unorthodox, but goddamn, was it beautiful. [Modern!AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Tardiness**

The day was as monotonous as every other day – he conformed to society's standards and attended high school, just like a _normal_ highschool teen. He bustled and jostled past hundreds of strangers through the subway and took his place in the train. He kept his precarious nature under wraps and proceeded to browse what was new on social media.

With his earphones plugged in, the white noise vibrating around him muffled, and the soft pitter-patter of rain tapping against the windows echoed through his earphones. He wearily looked on to the passing grey buildings and the flashing traffic lights below, and then back onto his phone screen, and sighed.

 _We're shortly arriving at City Leaf._

He pocketed his phone and looked at his watch – _7:15 –_ he was going to be late again. As the train doors slid open, he rushed out into the rain and trudged through puddles of rain, completely susceptible to the sensation of his uniform sticking onto his skin. _Great_ , _I'm going to get scolded again._ His subconscious reminded as he neared to the school entrance.

He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and proceeded to mix in with the crowd in the streets. While his mind was gunning for him to rush past the gates before the toll of the bell, his body remained lax and he continued at a leisurely pace through the contradictory busy streets of the city. His feet sloshed through the puddle and he came to a sudden halt. _Do I need to go to school? I mean, I can just turn back._ He mused.

While he had the choice of turning back, he knew that he wouldn't hear the end of it come the following day. He sighed and turned his music up.

He stopped at a stop light and watched the cars past by in an idle motion. His music thrummed in sync with the tapping of his foot and the clicking of his fingers, as he anxiously waited for the green light to go. His hair was dampening now, and his porcelain skin was beginning to pale, but his obsidian eyes didn't waver against the weather.

 _Today is just any other day…_

The post finally gave the green light.

 _Monotonous._

* * *

" _You're all wet!"_ His friend gasped when he reached the lockers. Almost immediately, a towel was thrown over his head before his blazer was forcibly yanked from his body. "Why didn't you use an umbrella? You know that it's monsoon season!" she continued to scold as she pushed her P.E kit back into her locker.

"At least I'm not late," he crookedly smiled, proceeding to dry his silver locks.

"Yeah, that's because the teacher forgot his keys back in the staff room. If that didn't happen, you would have been in detention again." She frowned when he gave her an exasperated look. "Listen, I just don't want you to get in more trouble. The teachers are already worried about your grades, Kakashi."

"I'm still passing, Rin." He replied as he fitted his feet into his school shoes. "And besides, I'm still smarter than anyone in this year." He passed her back her towel. "Thanks for that."

She gathered her books and walked beside him. "Yeah, everyone knows that, but you know… after everything that's happened, we can't help but worry about you. You know that if you want to talk to anyone, you can talk to me, right?"

Kakashi paused for a moment, as if to contemplate how he was supposed to respond. But it seemed that her compassion reached him, because he eased a softened smile. "Always," he sincerely said before he placed his hand on her shoulder.

She blushed, like she always did with him, and nodded. "G-Good," she stuttered, clutching at her books protectively. "Because I'm watching you, alright?"

He laughed, and his eyes arched upwards. "I know, Rin."

" _Oi, Kakashi!"_

Both students snapped their necks up and saw their raven friend furiously run at their direction. "You're going to get Rin in trouble with your tardy attitude, you bastard!" he vociferated in between breaths. "Come on, school is about to start. And apparently our homeroom teacher is taking a year of leave."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Some people say that his wife has terminal cancer; others say that they found some _indecent_ photographs stashed away in his desk. Either way, he's going for a year." Obito casually shrugged.

When they reached their homeroom, Kakashi sat himself down next to the window and reclined back. As expected, the lack of adult supervision has left his classroom to become rather _chaotic._ Perhaps it was the sense of liberty that gave his classmates the energy to get so rowdy, he thought upon witnessing those who would normally be at their seats, sharing gossip with their friends, instead.

Obito turned to him and grinned. "Apparently our new homeroom teacher is really old. Some, wrinkly old man with a mean streak."

Kakashi propped his chin on his hand and made a hum as a response.

"Aren't you at least interested about who the replacement is?" Rin asked on his right.

"Makes no difference to me," he grumbled. _I just want to sleep._

Obito snorted and folded his arms. "Here we go again, emo-Kakashi has been summoned, brooding in the corner of the classroom. Isn't that, like, some sort of anime cliché? Having the broody teen contemplate next to a window?"

The lack of response from their friend made Rin shrug the topic aside; she then leaned in with a small smile forming. "Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have a Homeroom teacher for an entire year?"

"That wouldn't be bad, actually," the Uchiha agreed.

"And have this chaotic classroom on repeat?" Kakashi mumbled "No thanks."

Obito wore a quizzical look at Kakashi. "You know, for a seventeen-year-old, you act like the elderly. You don't like fun, you don't like interacting with other people, and you just lock yourself up with books."

"I don't see what's wrong with that…."

"Yeah, we wouldn't expect you to. To you it's…. _normal._ But, trust me, it's not."

"Am I supposed to trust a juvenile child?"

A vein popped on Obito's temple, and he quickly loosened the tie around his neck. "What was that, you bastard!"

"You guys!" Rin softly chided. "The headmaster might come in. It's going to be trouble if he sees you two fighting."

Kakashi didn't bat an eyelash at his friend's childish deception of pretending to _throw_ a punch at him. He shrugged it off and flipped his phone out of his pocket. "We might as well enjoy this free period that we have," he sighed as he sunk down on his chair.

"What are you reading now?" Obito huffed, also flipping his phone out of his bag.

"The news. You know, things that matter."

Another obvious jab meant for the Uchiha. "You bastard," he sneered with clenched teeth. "You think you're all high and mighty, don't you? Well, let me tell you something, book-brain –"

"O-Obito!" Rin squeaked.

He immediately snapped up and looked at their auburn-haired friend. "Yeah?"

"Turn around."

Sweat had already speckled on his skin. Don't tell him that the teachers were right behind him. Now that he thought about it, the class had become _really_ quiet; maybe it was just his imagination and he _somehow_ blocked all of the noise out. Right? _Right?_

Kakashi grinned.

 _Wrong_.

"Can you sit on your seat properly, please, Obito-san?" The headmaster ordered sternly, and the boy stiffened on his seat.

"Sarutobi-sir!"

Hiruzen shook his head and proceeded to walk into class. "As you are already aware, Mitokado-sensei is currently on leave."

A student raised their hand. "For what, Sir?"

"That, I'm afraid, is classified between us staff. The only thing that you should know is that we have found a replacement. She will be your Homeroom teacher, and will also fill in for your Biology classes."

A collective groan echoed in the class. While Kakashi didn't display as much fuss as his peers did, he did huff in frustration. It would have been better if they didn't have a Homeroom teacher for the year. That would mean that he wouldn't have to be in school so early.

"Don't tell me that it's Danzo-sensei," one whined.

Another handful of groans emanated in the classroom.

Hiruzen scratched the back of his head before he resorted to banging his books on the wooden desk to calm the tide down."If you can all remain silent, I can tell you who your new teacher will be. Now, this is going to be her first year as a teacher, so be nice to her. She's also a medicine graduate, so rest assured that she knows what she's doing."

Obito turned around to Rin and Kakashi. "What do you think she'll look like? Dorky with buck teeth?"

Both of his friends raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say ' _What are you talking about?'_

"I'm going with dorky with buck teeth," he decided for himself before turning back around.

"Allow for me to introduce our new school member – Tsunade Senju."

"Come on – buck teeth, _buck teeth_." Obito chanted under his breath.

A young woman clad in a grey pantsuit strolled into the class, with her golden locks swaying behind her. Her heart-shaped face was adorned with a light gloss of lipstick, and her hazel eyes glinted with anticipation. The entire classroom fell silent and the look of shock on the students bewildered both teachers.

She cleared her throat. "I'm –"

" _You don't have buck teeth!"_ Obito exuberantly claimed, jabbing his finger at her direction.

Tsunade looked at the Headteacher and he gave a shrug. "F-Forgive him, he's quite special," he quietly confided.

"R-Right…." She collected herself and looked back at the class. "As I was saying, I'm Miss Senju. I'm your temporary teacher for this year. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask; my door will always be open for you."

"I'll leave this class in your hands, then," Hiruzen said, already gliding towards the door.

Once the door was closed, she clapped her hands and sat on the edge of the table. "I think, for today, we can just get to know each other. So, we're going to play a little ice-breaker. We're going to go around the class and you're going to tell me three things about yourself – your name, your hobbies and what you aspire in the future. Alright?"

The was a unison of nods.

"Great!" she smiled. "I'll start first: my name is Tsunade Senju; my hobbies are… well, you can say going out at night; my aspiration for the future is to become a full-fledged doctor. See? That wasn't so bad." She stood back up and approached the desk furthest on her left. "Let's start with this row."

Students unexpectedly complied to the blonde's request and introduced themselves to the class. "Alright, it's your turn." She gestured at the fiery black-haired boy.

"My name is Obito Uchiha! My hobbies are playing games in the arcades, and playing basketball; as for aspirations…." He hummed as he held his chin. "I want to be a police officer?" _Maybe._

Tsunade nodded, seemingly half-interest, but invested nevertheless. "Good. Alright, next."

The lack of response from Kakashi stifled the class and they all looked at the corner of the class. Obito also turned around. "Oi, Kakashi –" his sentence left his mouth and he was left hanging.

"He fell asleep."

* * *

A/N: Will say this now - this story is not for the faint hearted. :) So if that's not your cup of tea, feel free to leave.

Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Under the Surface**

Kakashi didn't know what was worse: the fact that the book the new teacher decided to hurl his way clipped his ear, or that she _purposely_ missed his face. The lack of dissatisfaction on her face indicated that the way the book was projected towards him was in her intention.

He was sat, stricken. He didn't think that she would have the balls to do anything that rash – and unbelievably crazy – on her first day as the replacement teacher. If anything, she wasn't winning any rewards from him. But it seemed like that's where he reached an impasse with his classmates; there were whispers throughout the class of hormonal boys pumped with testosterone, becoming enamoured by her, and jealous teenage girls who wished that their figure was as well-developed as hers.

Whatever it was that she was doing was working. She was in the class' favour.

"Has anyone told you that it's rude to doze off like that, Kakashi-san?" she asked with a faux-sweet smile painted on her face.

 _Did anyone tell you that you could kill someone with a 300-paged book?_ He wanted to quip back, but refrained from doing so when he had a flashback of his near-death experience. For once in his life, he felt fear. But it was all in good reason – she did give him some psychotic vibes that moment she waltzed into the room.

"Introduce yourself," she prompted, still with the same innocent expression.

He inwardly sighed, but stopped his eyes from rolling back. Honestly, it would be a death sentence to do anything that could provoke her. "Hi. I'm Kakashi Hatake. I don't have any hobbies I wish to share. And I don't particularly know anything about my future." He said in a monotone manner. By now his peers should know that if he could half-ass something, he would.

Tsunade stood there for a moment with an eyebrow raised, visibly stricken by the boy's lacklustre attitude. Even the class understood that the mood of the class has constricted since Kakashi's lack of adherence. If anything, they were sure that some sort of tension was coiling between the Class Rep. (Kakashi) and Fresh-out-of-water-teacher-hottie (Tsunade), and it wasn't something they wanted to be a part of.

"Great. It was a pleasure meeting _some_ of you." She finally said, asserting her sweet tone again. "I shall see you tomorrow on your first and second period. Don't forget to bring your biology textbooks tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am." They all said in unison. Surprisingly, even Kakashi played along.

Kakashi collected his bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder, ready to leave their homeroom. As he brushed past the teacher, they made the briefest eye contact filled with daggers, and he smirked.

When him and his friends marched down the hall to their next class, Rin managed to grab onto his arm. "What was that, Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

" _That._ With our new teacher."

"Kakashi has the hots for her, that's what." Obito chimed in beside Rin, grinning. "Don't even lie, Baka-Kakashi. I saw the way you looked at her as you left the classroom."

Kakashi snorted back. "She shocked me, that's all. For someone as young as her, you wouldn't think that she would have the balls to… you know, nearly commit murder with a book. In front of two dozen witnesses, no less."

Obito laughed, but Rin had her cheeks puffed. "She is really pretty, don't you think?" she asked. "I mean, especially by teacher standards. You don't see anyone looking like her often."

"I haven't really gotten a look," Kakashi truthfully told. Honestly, all he could see was Satan embodying a young woman.

"Eh. She's too good for us, anyways. She probably has a boyfriend already." Obito casually said in the sidelines, having his arms crossed behind his head in a nonchalant manner.

"I pray for whoever is associated with her," Kakashi huffed.

* * *

"How are you finding things in school, Tsunade-san?" Hiruzen asked when recess rolled around the corner. He leaned against the water fountain where she resided, and waited for her response.

"The students are impressionable. I haven't seen anyone who would cause much trouble," she replied before taking a sip of water.

"And you've had the pleasure to meet Kakashi Hatake, right? Or did he skip homeroom again?"

Tsunade took a seat in her designated desk in the staff room and cross one leg over the other, knowing that the headmaster was leading to a long conversation. "I wouldn't say that it was a _pleasure_ to meet a boy like him."

"Forgive me for not fully disclosing you on his situation," he bowed his head slightly.

She raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Kakashi is predicted for many things, Tsunade-san; an honour student with a scholarship, if things go well." Hiruzen passed her a folder that outlined Kakashi's history. "But things have gotten sour on his end. And, well, we fear that his prospects are diminishing along with his grades."

Tsunade took the folder and scanned through it. "W-What do you want me to do about this?"

"Just keep him in check. Make sure that he does well in his classes. His last homeroom teacher gave up on him, so he had a loose rein. I'm asking for you to-"

"Tighten the reins again," she finished, placing the folder down.

"Precisely. He's a once in a generation student. We can't afford for someone like him to throw away his future."

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

The bell rang and all of the students flowed out of the school building with different agendas for the night. Kakashi stayed behind and did his Class Rep. duties, such as cleaning the homeroom class and _'volunteering'_ (or, in his case, being forced to) carry sheaf of paperwork from one building block to the other.

Shizune, who was the other Class Rep., often helped him with his duties but since she was ill with the flu, he was left to do everything by himself. Though Rin tried to stay and help him, he had to send her home. After all, it wasn't her responsibility to do these things.

As he cleaned the blackboard, he heard the steel door slide open. His ears perked, and he turned his head to the side. "Senju-sama," he acknowledged in a respectful tone.

"Kakashi-san," she acknowledged back. She stepped to her desk and looked through the compartments, as if she was on a mission for something. When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she leaned on the desk and sighed.

Kakashi placed the board wipe down and tried to go on about his chores without much hassle. After all, he has already greeted her.

"Kakashi-san," she called.

Oh, dear God. What now? He didn't do anything to warrant her attention.

He turned on his heels and made eye contact with her. "Y-Yes, Senju-sama?"

"Good work." She nodded at the clean classroom he organised.

He smiled. "Thank you."

"I heard that you're on the Honour roll, too. The school must have you by the neck."

"You can say that." He flatly replied as he continued to organise the papers on his desk.

Tsunade's shoulders slouched and she sighed. There's no way she can connect with this boy, even if the headmaster has made a special request that she do so. Why should she care if he throws his future away? She's just a temporary teacher, anyway. He shouldn't be her problem. He's old enough to think for himself.

 _Right?_

"I expect you to be on time tomorrow," she added. "I've heard about your innate tardiness."

"It will depend."

"This is not up for discussion, you know that. Class Rep.'s, such as yourself, shouldn't be on their final strike for detention for being late. You're the student model; you should start acting like one."

"Senju-sama," he quickly said, stopping whatever it was he was preoccupying himself with. "I'm sure that you know about me by now. The headmaster has probably informed you of my life, right? I know what you're trying to do, but you should know _why_ I'm late by now."

"He did," she said after a few seconds of silence.

Kakashi's clear expression changed into something more solemn, but he was quick to look away. "I'll be off now. I've done everything I need to do." He took the loose papers and placed it on her desk. They shared eye contact again, but this time it was Tsuande who looked away first.

"Go on," she whispered.

Kakashi took his belongings and slipped out of the classroom, softly closing the door behind him.

* * *

After spending what felt like hours on the train, Kakashi arrived home. He kicked off his shoes at the entrance and closed the door behind him. "I'm home," he called. He threw his blazer over where they kept the coats, and wandered into the kitchen.

He then retrieved the meat he had been defrosting and set it to one side before he climbed up the stairs. "Father, I'm home." He said again.

He twisted the doorknob of his father's room and let himself in. His stoic look softened and he smiled. "I'm sorry I'm late."

He sat himself down on the bed and hung his head down.

"Kakashi. Oh, you're here already."

"Just now," he replied.

"Great. Well, I'll just give him his medication, and I'll be on my way home."

"Right. Tell me when you're finished." He took one last look at his father who was practically paralyzed on his bed, and his lips thinned in bitterness.

"I'll be back in a bit, father."


	3. Chapter 3

**Under the Surface II**

Life outside of school wasn't always difficult for Kakashi. No. It wasn't until recently when all of the responsibility that he _should_ have burdened came crashing down on his shoulders. It felt as if it was yesterday when he had the traditional upper class nuclear family and free lifestyle.

He was the child of Sakumo Hatake and Sachi Masomoto – esteemed employees in their respectable fields. His father was the vice president of the infamous Ramen brand, Icharaku's; his mother was a lawyer in a multi-billion firm. Suffice to say, Kakashi was the Golden Egg of the family; the spoilt boy who got his way and _everything_ he wanted.

Life was great. _Truly_ great. That was until his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. While the demyelinating disease was said to be mild, it seemed that Fate cursed the Hatake family because his father became progressively worse. His motor skills deteriorated to the point he couldn't feed himself, let alone walk. The doctors told them that 1% of those diagnosed with this disease can experience severe symptoms. By the looks of it, his father's circumstance fit this 1%.

Little by little, Kakashi noticed his utopia shatter before his eyes. His mother grew distant to him and his father, often arriving late or in the middle of the night. She claimed that it was because of the case she was devoting her career on – that _they needed_ this break.

Months of snooping cost Kakashi to see the lies and deceit his mother tried to conceal from the family. In the midst of his father's fading quality of life, Kakashi walked in his mother having the classic affair with her co-worker (once claimed to be the " _gay bestfriend_ "), all coiled around each other in her car outside of her workplace.

One social chaos rolled to another, and Kakashi found himself in the middle of his parent's divorce settlement. For obvious reasons, he pleaded to be placed in the custody of his father; being under the legal age of being considered an adult meant that in the eyes of the Law, he was still a _child._ And, in a way, he was. He didn't know the hardships of life until the umbrella his parents covered him with, crumbled.

Now, with his father quite literally on his death bed, Kakashi tried his best to sustain an independent life. Of course, he still depended on his father's wealth for their livelihoods. But for his father's ongoing medicines, that couldn't be covered by his health insurance, Kakashi made sure to take care of it. After all, his father's wealth can only take them so far before running out. Sure, his mother would pitch in, but he never gracefully took her up on her offers.

As far as he was concerned, she was the Devil Incarnate who turned on her vows when things became difficult. She said things like _"Forgive me, darling"_ or _"It just happened! I wasn't intending for it to happen"_ as if it would make him magically jump to her side.

Today was no different: she called him for the tenth time and pleaded to talk to him or his father, but he deleted all of her voice messages before Sakumo could hear them. He was sure that his father still loved his mother, despite her infidelity during their toughest times as a family, and would gladly take her back. But _he_ was in charge now. Not his father.

As Kakashi worked to cook Sakumo's favourite dish, Okonomiyaki, he attentively listened to the soft footsteps at the top of the stairs, knowing that it was their hired caretaker quietly shifting to their door. He looked over his shoulder. "Thank you for today again, Yatsumi-san."

The middle-aged woman smiled, wrinkled and tired. She never complained, but Kakashi could tell that she was incredibly fatigued. "It's no big deal, Kakashi-kun," she said sweetly as she slipped into her shoes.

Kakashi hurriedly wrapped her bento box with a soft cloth and intercepted her at the door. "Here." He offered gently. "I-I know that it'll be a long journey to your home. So, please, have this on the way."

She looked at it, deeply embarrassed. But after being swayed by the teen's silent prompts, she gratefully accepted his gift with a beaming smile. "You're a sweet child, Kakashi-kun."

He scratched the back of his head, feeling flabbergasted and left grasping for words. "Haha. Th-Thank you."

"I've made sure that all of your father's medications are ready. Remember, he must take another set at midnight." She instructed as she tucked in a lock of fading brown hair behind her ear.

"Right." Kakashi mentally took note of the time.

"A-Are you working tonight?" she asked.

"I-I-I am, yes. I will be back before midnight, thankfully."

"Take care of yourself, okay?" She turned to the door.

"You too, Yatsumi-san." He waved when she exited their gates and kept that cheery façade until she had her back turned at him. He sighed, weary and prolonged, as his form slumped into a slouch. His half-dead emotion suddenly snapped when the boiling of his cooking began to become more violent.

He jolted back and made haste to the kitchen.

* * *

 _Hours later…_

"Your shift is nearly over, Kakashi," his boss declared. "Can you just take out some of the bins before you call it a night?"

"I still have an hour to go… sir." Kakashi timidly reminded as he worked to clear the table of eight, careful that his white dress shirt would not be ruined by the blackcurrant spillages the children did before leaving.

"Don't worry, I'll still be paying you for that hour. It's just that you look like you need the extra hour for yourself." He reached out and placed his hand firmly on his shoulder. "You're still in highschool, aren't you?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Then you'll need some time to focus on your education, too."

"T-Thank you, Tobirama-sama." Kakashi tried to bow in respect but was just ushered by the boss. He wore a quizzical look but ultimately did what his superior silently told him to and back off from his chores and headed to the staff room.

After he collected his winter coat from his locker, he rushed out and threw the garbage into the large bins outside of the restaurant. He then made his way back inside where he sheepishly thanked Tobirama and said goodnight to the entire staff team.

Kakashi quickly hopped onto his bicycle and cycled his way home through the chilly night of October. As he was about to pass their local convenience store, he skidded to a stop and quickly dropped by.

Upon entering, he picked his father's favourite juice – Guava, sugar free – and headed to the counter. Much to his surprise, the clerk was none other than Asuma Sarutobi – the headteacher's rebellious son. "You're on nightshift?" he asked, pulling his hand out of his glove.

"Yeah. I broke Old Man's precious golf clubs, so I need extra hours to pay it off." He replied candidly, as his teeth chewed onto an unlit cigarette. "What about you? Did your old man send you off to an errand?"

"No, I was working at Rossini's." Kakashi said, sliding his payment to Asuma. He then nodded at his cigarette that was hanging from his lips. "Does Kurenai know that you smoke?"

Asuma snorted, as if to say that he was stupid to even ask such a question. But when Kakashi continued to gawk at him, he stopped chuckling and cleared his throat. "Obviously not," he clarified. "She won't even let me have a sip of beer at parties. Do you honestly think she'll get on the boat of me smoking?"

"So why _are_ you smoking?"

"Stress relief. Being the headmaster's son isn't exactly freeing, you know. It's like being in school 24/7. I mean, at least your dad doesn't nag you anym-" His eyes suddenly widened upon realisation, quickly having an expression between a dear caught in the headlights and being horrified by a murderer.

Surprisingly, Kakashi shook it off by remaining quiet.

"I-I'm sorry, man. I-I didn't mean to…. I…" He rubbed the back of his head in agitation. "Fuck…" he whispered before lighting his cigarette. "Listen, I-"

"Don't worry about it." Kakashi took the brown bag and held it at his side. "Just don't smoke excessively. They can kill you, you know."

"I won't," Asuma promised. "J-Just don't tell Kurenai, alright?"

Kakashi gave a slanted smirk. "I don't want to meddle between you lovers."

"H-Hey. By the way, how are you and Rin?" He managed to say just as his classmate was heading to the doors.

Kakashi stopped and slowly turned. "Huh?"

"D-Didn't she… yanno… um.."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kakashi pressed with a scrunched-up face of confusion.

"Oh." Sudden realisation fell onto the young man's lap once more, and he became a bubbling mess. "I-It's no-nothing. I was thinking of another girl. Hahaha."

"Those cigarettes are killing your brain cells," the silver-haired teen muttered before waving goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You sure will!" Asuma saluted before melting into a pitiful mess behind the counter.

* * *

Upon arriving at _11:35,_ Kakashi took a short shower before he decided to monitor Sakumo's progress. By the looks of it, Sakumo was in a deep slumber since he didn't notice his presence in the room. Kakashi sat himself down on the adjacent couch in the master bedroom, and waited for the time to tick to _12:00,_ so he could give him his medication.

Almost absent-mindedly, Kakashi started to thrum his fingers on the leather furniture to occupy himself in the dark solitude of his father's room. His thrumming took a halt when he heard the bed sheets shift, indicating that he had disturbed Sakumo from his rest.

"What are you doing here, Kakashi?" Sakumo croaked in the dark.

Kakashi was quick on his feet to turn on the lampshade he knew his father would attempt to reach out to. Once the soft golden light gave the room more colour, Kakashi took a seat on the bed and gave a saddened smile. "How are you, father?"

Sakumo sat up and leaned against the oak headboard of his bed. "I would like to think that I'm not too bad…" he raised his hand and showed how he could now clench his hand. "The medication and programme I've been given is quite effective."

"T-That's great! Does that mean you'll continue to go there with Yatsumi-san?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but I am _interested_ in furthering this progress. After all, what else is there for me apart from death?

"Father…." Kakashi said, low and sharp.

"It's an ill joke, I'm sorry. But I do have the right to humour myself sometimes. Being sick doesn't mean that I don't get to make fun of things, anymore." His eyes glinted childishly as his cracked lips arched into a grin. "One can never live without their wits."

"So you say, father…"

"Don't look so down, Kakashi. I just told you that I'm making progress; you should be thrilled about this."

"Oh… I-I'm sorry, I've just got a lot of things in my mind right now."

"School?"

"You can say that."

"You'll do great, son. You always did have a knack with academics. I don't see why my medical condition should incapacitate you to do otherwise." Sakumo moved on the bed again, to shift to a more comfortable position. "Have I told you that your headmaster came to visit the other day?"

"Oh, I knew…"

"Well, then, you should know how valuable your future is. Don't let _anything_ get in your way, you hear me? Not your mother, not my condition, and certainly not by you overworking yourself." He huffed before he palmed his face. "I know that you're still trying to adjust with things, Kakashi. But don't feel that you have to overburden yourself. At the end of the day, I am _still_ your parent. I am still the provider of this house."

"Not in your condition, you're not." Kakashi answered back, sharper than he intended. "While you're resting, _I_ am the one in charge of this household. Mother left us….. so it's up to me to uphold this family." He looked at the family photo Sakumo adamantly fought to preserve in his bedroom. His mother was clutching at his father's arm, smiling so cheerily at the camera, whilst he was in the middle of his parents, oblivious to the storm that was about to hit his family.

 _Mother looked so happy here._ Kakashi thought before subsequently musing about when she stopped being happy with them. Was it when Sakumo was diagnosed with the condition, or was it when she realised that he would never be the same again as he became a ticking timebomb for his own destruction.

"Kakashi!" Sakumo suddenly shook him from his inner thoughts. Kakashi blinked, still unaware as of _why._ "It's midnight. I need my medication," he finally elaborated.

"R-Right…."

* * *

Kakashi stayed up until _4:00am_ that night, half of the time revising some chapters he slept through and the other half pondering as of _how_ his family became so dysfunctional so quickly. He threw himself from side to side on his bed, but couldn't find sleep.

It wasn't until the sunrays started peeking through his blinds that sleep held him down by the throat. He slept that morning, but ultimately had to wake up at _6:00am_ where he prepared his father breakfast and waited for his caretaker to arrive.

By _7:00am_ Kakashi was running to the train station with the limited energy he had. As per usual, there weren't any seats left for him, so he was cornered against the sliding doors of the train. On a normal day, he wouldn't be antsy about being late, but with his previous experience with that tyrant of a teacher from yesterday, he feared that what she was going to throw would be worse than a book.

He ran through the train station and to school, carefully jostling past individuals without an ounce of care in the world. _7:15_ ticked and Kakashi narrowly slipped through the closing gates, startling the teacher to death.

"S-Sorry!" Kakashi immediately said without looking back.

It was _7:25_ when Kakashi barged into his homeroom, wet from the rain, panting for his life. He looked up and saw Tsunade casually looking at him. But her neutral expression became akin to worry as his vision blurred.

Before he could step into the classroom, he lost his balance, causing him to stumble backwards. Tsunade was quick to react, quickly grabbing him by his arm and steadying him on his feet. "He-Hey," she softly spoke as she placed her hand on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

Kakashi leaned against the wall and nodded. "Y-Yeah.. just… tired."

"You don't look well, Kakashi-san."

By now, the entire class were up on their feet and were trying to see what was happening. But, just as they were about to poke their heads through, Tsunade slammed the door shut and isolated them from the entire class. A handful of groans were heard from the other side, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. They were a nosy bunch.

"We need to go to the infirmary. I'll do a check up on you there." She touched his forehead and quickly eliminated the possibility of a fever causing him to be this pale. When his body slumped against the wall, she held him by his broad shoulders and pressured him against the wall. "Have you had anything to eat?"

"I'm fine, Senju-sama. I just lost my balance, that's all." Kakashi shallowly breathed, trying to shuffle past her.

However, he was suddenly pushed against the wall. "Don't mock my medical degree; I know a chronically fatigued person when I see one. I've dealt with many patients like you back in my under-grad. To make things worse, you're not supplying your body with the amount of nutrients it needs. You're literally enslaving your body, Kakashi-san."

"You're really going to lecture me out here?"

"Well, unless you give me a reason not to, I _will_ lecture you out here." Her hand that pressured against his chest retreated to her side, and she sighed when she saw Hiruzen stare from the end of the hall. "Come into class, Kakashi-san."

He obliged and headed to his seat, ignoring the glances he received from his peers. Just as he was contemplating about falling into hibernation, Tsunade slammed a bento box on his desk and pushed a pair of cutleries at his face. "I-I'm sorry?" he asked in bemusement. _What was she doing now_?

"Eat." She ordered, but soft enough for him to know that she wasn't exactly forcing him to. "You can't function on an empty stomach. And we'll have a talk after second period." She left the cutleries on his desk and when about talking to the class as if nothing happened.

At his peripheral, he could see Rin gaping at him, but he didn't dare make eye contact with her. Instead, he opened the bento box and came to an icy realisation – Tsunade had given him her lunch.

* * *

A/N: Let's just say a Christmas miracle happened, and I managed to whip up a couple of chapters in one day. I haven't written like this in _years,_ and it feels good to have the steam for it again. :P (Don't expect me to maintain it, though. Haahah).


	4. Chapter 4

**Interest**

The first and second period was a blur for Kakashi. He remembered trying to stay focused at the task at hand, but ultimately failed in doing so when he dozed off in class. Surprisingly, he didn't get hit by a book. Instead, he woke up in a disorientated mess when the bell rang for recess.

He blinked a couple of times to sharpen the blur that clouded his sight. Almost immediately, he took notice of Rin and Obito standing by the door, obviously reluctant in leaving him in class. But Tsunade managed to usher them away, whispering things that Kakashi couldn't quite get. Both Rin and Obito nodded understandably before they sulkily made their way to the canteen.

"Are you keeping me here for detention?" Kakashi asked, perturbed when she closed the door behind her.

"I said that we were going to talk after second period. In case you haven't noticed, it's _past_ second period." She took a stapled set of papers from her desk before she came and dragged Rin's seat to his desk. "Here," she passed him a set of handwritten notes.

"What..?" By the look of things, she had written down the essential notes he needed to know in the lesson he slept through. He frowned at her and then back at the paper. "I-I… um… thank you?" For some unknown reason, she was going easy on him. He'd expected for her to yank him by the ear to wake him up. Not _this._

Honestly, he didn't know which one was scarier – her being a dictator or her being… _nice._

"There will be a small test about the cardiac system. I _expect_ you to revise these notes, you hear?" she finally said. "You're a smart man, Kakashi. I've seen your records – getting straight As, with the occasional 100% on tests – and I-I can't see you throw your future away. Like you said, I was informed about your….s _ituation,_ but I'm not going to treat you any different. I'm your teacher and it is my _job_ to ensure that you achieve the best grades you can get."

She was unexpectedly close, with her elbows resting on his table and her face inches from his, that he could smell her feminine perfume linger from around her. He didn't take her for sweet-scented type, considering her fiery personality, but he was clearly wrong about her. He shook his head to snap himself from his tranced state, and he leaned back on his chair to gain distance.

"But if you continue with this half-assed attitude, Kakashi-san, I _will_ not tolerate it like your teachers do. You're going to be on time from now on, you hear? And you _will_ give your all on these tests I assign the class." She continued, voice laced with an underlying threat. "Do that and we'll get on amicably. I'll be more than happy to help you with your academics, but I will not be a fool to your behaviour."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "We'll see," he said simply, already seeing her hazel eyes harden at his lack of compliance. "Some events in my life spirals out of my control. Don't expect me to be consistent with my performance. School is the last thing on my mind. Even if it wasn't, I still could care less about it. After all, I don't even know what I want to be."

"And you'll continue not knowing with that attitude. You _need_ to take interest in something."

"You make it sound like a chore…." He deadpanned.

"It can be, but that's if you don't have passion for it." She smoothed out her skirt before she crossed one leg over the other, bidding time to say something inspirational. Because God knows that she was _but_ a charismatic individual. "You _must_ have one subject that you're incredibly passionate about."

Kakashi hummed for a moment before he shook his head. "Nope. None comes to mind."

She groaned outwardly, burying her face in her hands. He's a lost cause.

"But you have my attention," he finally said.

 _Huh?_ It was her turn to blink like a clueless dear in the road. She looked up and saw that he wasn't trying to rile her up; he was sat there, genuine and serious. "W-What do you mean by that, Kakashi-san?"

"I'm willing to _try_ to engage in your classes more often, because you genuinely care about what I do – or not do – with my life. I know you're going to run out of steam in the future, but most teachers wouldn't go this far for me." He spoke matter-of-factly. "Who knows, I may even end up genuinely liking human biology."

Tsunade sat aback, trying to sink in the fact that she managed to reach out to him. The progress was small, but was still notable. More importantly, he was _listening_ to her, and was not pulling his usual sarcastic streaks on her. Honestly, she expected for him to be much worse. But from the looks of things, he also wanted this kind of guidance.

"Now, now, I'm not promising anything." Kakashi was quick to say, as if he had detected her inner celebration. "I'm not going to become the poster child for Perfect Student, overnight. No. I'm just saying that I'm _willing_."

"And that's the right direction to take. I'll just have to ensure that you'll stay on that path." She smirked.

"You mean, you'll _pester_ me into staying on that path…."

"I wouldn't be so harsh. I would call it more on the lines of _'teacher guidance'._ "

Kakashi unexpectedly chuckled which, in turn, made her giggle in response. "Sleek," he finally replied with a soft smile still plastered on his face. "You know –" The scraping of the metal door made him crane his head up. "Rin," he greeted, albeit confused.

"H-Hi… umm…. Sen-Senju-sama, I really need your help on something."

She was quick to stand up and attend to her needs. "What would that be, Rin-chan?"

"I was hoping if you'd help me understand the ECG and how that relates back to the pressures in the heart."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow up as he watched Tsunade go out of her way to teach Rin about how depolarisation and polarisation can cause pressure differences in the heart, and realised that Rin already knew the information. He's known her since they were in kindergarten, so he knows damn well when she's lying – she always twiddles her thumbs and chews on her bottom lip.

"And so, the QRS complex you see in the ECG is caused by the ventricular depolarisation…" Tsunade finally elaborated. "Is there something else you'd like to ask?"

"No, no…." Rin sweetly replied with a small shake of her head. "Thank you, Senju-sama."

"No problem."

"And um, I was also wondering if Kakashi is out from his detention." She added bashfully, trying her hardest to not make eye contact with the woman. (Honestly, Rin always felt a pang of insecurity and inferiority in her subconsciousness when she's in Tsunade's presence).

"Oh," Tsunade turned to Kakashi who was still lounging on the chair. "H-He's not in detention, don't you worry. But I guess it is time for him to go for his break," she said as she looked at her watch.

Kakashi rose up from his desk and threw his blazer over his shoulder. "Thank you, Senju-sama," he quickly said before he past her.

"Anytime."

* * *

"Did you really need to do that?" Kakashi asked as they walked side by side in the corridor.

"Do what?" she asked innocently, purposely shuffling close to him so that their arms would brush against each other every now and then.

"You know what. I know for a _fact_ that you weren't confused about the ECG and all that crap. Because if you were, you would have stayed behind and talked to her. You wouldn't have gone out for recess for _15 minutes_ then realise that you needed help."

"I-I forgot, th-that's all." She murmured, still keeping close to his side. "Anyways, what were you guys talking about? It seemed serious for a while then you guys started laughing."

"She was being insistent on me focusing on my future, that's all."

"Oh…"

"Were you spying?" He raised a curious brow, suddenly stopping mid-step. " _Were_ you?" he pressed.

"N-No! I was just unsure whether or not to knock. Your conversation seemed so important, so I decided not to impose. But when you guys started laughing, I thought that it may not have been important, after all." Her response was calm enough for Kakashi to overlook that fact that she was fiddling around with her skirt.

"Just to clarify, we weren't _laughing_ all that much."

"W-What do you think of her – a-as a teacher, I mean."

"I don't know. I've never really paid attention." He said with a shrug, taking a left to head up the flight of stairs.

Rin followed closely and eventually linked her arm with his. They walked together, past female peers who shared glances with one another upon seeing her being so _close_ with Kakashi. It was known by now that Kakashi was a popular boy, often getting love confessions on a daily basis. So, it wasn't a surprise that many girls grew to hate Rin, since she's been childhood friends with Kakashi.

She could feel their jealously clawing into her skin, knowing that they were eyeing the way she could put her hand on him whenever she felt like it. Even though they weren't dating, she felt that their special bond was enough to draw potential suitors away. And, honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Kakashi never showed irritation when she would take his arm, anyways. So, she figured, why stop now?

"But she's alright," he suddenly said.

"W-What?"

"Senju-sama." He looked back down at her. "I'm talking about our new teacher. I said that she's alright."

"Oh."

"I like her."


	5. Chapter 5

**Feelings**

 _A few days later…_

"So, how are things, Tsunade-sensei?" Shikaku Nara, the Head of the Sciences department, asked after analysing how stiff her aura was. He hasn't engaged in a conversation with the newbie, because it seemed like a drag to converse with someone as intimidating as her, but later decided that social courtesies need be extended.

She stopped writing her lesson plan for the rest of the day and glanced up at him. By the look fixed on her face, she was also unsure as of why he was speaking to her. "I-um… things are good, Shikaku-sensei," she finally replied. "What about you? I'm sure that managing an entire department is hard on you."

 _Interesting…_ They completely skipped over introductions and played along with it. "It gets easier after a while. Since the curriculum isn't changing any time soon, I can just recycle some of the activities the students could do." He tried to say nonchalantly, even though he was drowning under paperwork. "But I'd imagine that the transition from student to teacher is a drastic change for you."

"Not really."

"Oh."

"In my final years of med school, I was mentoring the first years. So, I had prior experience – albeit it being short – before all of this." She continued, not stopping whatever it was she was scribbling on her paper. "But doing lesson plans isn't something I'm used to."

Shikaku's face lit up. Finally, there was something he can teach her. However, before he could say anything, the bell rang, indicating that their break was over. He watched her quickly collect everything into her folder before she scooped up her coffee mug.

"I appreciate the talk, Shikaku-sensei," she said, stopping beside him. "And if you have some time to spare, I'd like to pick your brain with effective lesson plans."

"S-Sure! It will be a pleasure."

She smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

As she carefully meandered around the halls filled with teenagers, she made sure she prioritised her coffee's safety over her own by being overly wary with potential jostling with these teens. Even a small threat, such as a student not looking where they were going, she was quick to usher to the side and keep her coffee at an arm's length from said danger.

Teenagers may not realise it now, but coffee was what got her through days like this. While she wasn't a cranky elderly woman with a mean streak - _yet –_ she did need to power up her mind with its favourite fuel. And that was _strong_ caffeine. If there was a stronger form of caffeine, she would most likely be the first one to jump on the wagon.

To say that coffee was her Holy Grail would be the century's understatement about her.

Upon reaching her class, she tasked herself with opening the door without spilling her drink and looking like a fool. After practically prying the door open, and kicking it back, she entered her the room and watched as her students flocked back to their seats like headless chickens. She already half-expected _one_ silver-haired student – who shan't be shamed – to be crashing into her class now.

In hindsight, maybe she was a fool to think that she could make the teen turn a full 180 with a few words. It didn't matter now, however, since she had twenty other students who needed her guidance. He'll have to take a backseat in her mind.

She called out the names of her students while half of her attention was fixated on the door. The clock was ticking, and he was still nowhere to be found. At this rate, she was going to meet him with a book. Of course, she'll try to make it look like an accident, but she'll make sure she won't be generous enough to just clip him.

She finally reached his name on the register. _Oh, what the hell,_ she thought. Might as well play along. "Hatake Kakashi."

As she was ready to log him to being late, an answer reached her ears.

"Here."

Tsunade's head shot up and immediately saw the teen sitting behind his desk. "H-Have you just come in?" she asked.

"Nope. I've been here _before_ you, Senju-sama."

"Huh…"

"It's surprising, isn't it, Senju-sama?" Obito laughed. "For once, idiot-Kakashi here is on time."

By the look on some of the students' faces, they were also surprised that Kakashi was on time.

The Class Rep.'s stoic expression turned into flabbergasted. "What?" he asked everyone.

"No-Nothing," Tsunade answered for the class.

Maybe her words did reach him, after all.

* * *

Dinner came, and Kakashi was the first student to leave class. Obito and Rin followed on. They tailed their friend with several questions bubbling in their minds. _How come you're not late? Were you actually trying in class? Who are you, because you're not the Kakashi we know._

"Man, I didn't know a Christmas miracle would happen so early," Obito casually spoke. "Say, what Christmas ghost possessed you, Kakashi?" Rin giggled unexpectedly, making the Uchiha burn up slightly. She doesn't really laugh when he teases Kakashi.

"Funny," he laughed sardonically. "I don't see why it's such a shock that I'm being a student. You look at me as if I've concocted this Earth-breaking superpower."

" _That_ would have been awesome," Obito remarked.

"I agree," Kakashi said back. "But I didn't. So, quit looking at me with those eyes, especially when I answer a question in class. Because, newsflash, I do participate in lessons, too." He saw Obito pull a face. "Okay, I _sometimes_ do. This is just one of those days."

"Lessons, you mean."

"Huh?"

"Come on, human biology is the only lesson you actually pay attention to. I mean, you've always had a knack for chemistry, so that doesn't count. But you weren't like this in biology." Obito explained. He then developed a devilish grin. "It's Senju-sama, isn't it?"

"Eh?" Kakashi cocked his head to the side, genuinely at a lost.

" _Come on!"_ Obito groaned. "It doesn't hurt telling the truth. I mean, everyone thinks she's incredibly hot. I know that you have this whole pseudo-asexual act going on, but I know attraction when I see it."

It was Kakashi's turn to pull a face. "I have never called myself asexual, you idiot."

"More reason for me to think that you have a thing for Senju-sama."

"What? Ew." He said upon reflex. "What the hell's wrong with you? If I were paying attention to Shimura-sama's classes, you wouldn't say that I had a thing for that dirty bastard."

"Well…. I'll certainly think something weird is going on. But, come on, it's not like she's old; she just graduated from med school, so that makes her 24 years old. That's nowhere near old."

"Let's just stop talking about this," Rin finally spoke up. "All we talk about are classes and Senju-sama. It's weird. So, let's just drop it."

" _He_ started it," Kakashi deadpanned. "If anything, I think he's the one with the crush."

Obito choked on his spit and his cheeks became rosy. "I-Idiot, I don't!" he vehemently denied. He didn't want Rin to think that he has been checking other people out apart from her. They may not be a couple, but he wants to make his feelings clear for her – that she's the only one that he's got eyes for.

Kakashi smirked, knowing well that he had just triggered his friend. Serves him right for trying to lure him into a trap.

* * *

After school, when they had completed their responsibilities and leisure activities, Obito and Kakashi walked home together. Rin had disappeared so suddenly in the middle of the day with Kurenai, presumably to go shopping.

Obito had one earphone in and was busy texting on his phone, while Kakashi occupied himself with some light reading of his favourite guilty pleasure, Icha Icha Paradise – a serialised piece of literature that details a complex love triangle between opposing clans. While many people were quick to accuse him of only liking it because of its smutty content – Obito being his number one propagator of such belief – he was _truly_ invested in the plot and the adversity the characters overcame.

"Do you want to drop by Netero Café?" Obito offered, glancing back at him. "It'll be safer to read that soft porn in a closed environment." That, and the autumn's fangs has loomed over the Land of Fire with relentless gusto. Even their breaths were icy in the middle of the day. A warm beverage was a must.

"It's not a porno!" Kakashi hissed. He rolled his eyes when Obito bit back his chuckle; many people were looking at him strangely now. "Thanks, you diot," he muttered.

"I'm only joking, sheesh. But the offer still stands, wanna swing by and get a cup of Pumpkin Spice?"

"Can't. I need to head to the train station." Kakashi took note of the time on his watch. "I still need to cook dinner for my father."

"How is Sakumo-jiji?" Obito quietly asked, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"He's now doing physical therapy. It's hard to tell if he'll bounce back, but I'm still holding out hope."

"What about your mom? Has she-"

"I don't want to talk about her, Obito." Kakashi sharply replied, shutting the magazine he was reading and shoving it into his messenger bag. He ruffled his hair back in annoyance and began to widen his strides. He watched his bestfriend match his pace in a jittered manner, still snorting in disbelief that he actually tried to go _there._

Obito gave Kakashi the occasional glances as he tried to think of something to say. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine…" Kakashi murmured half-heatedly, burying his nose into his knitted scarf. "You can go to the café by yourself, I'm going home."

"R-Right… well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya."

They parted ways at the crosswalks, with Kakashi continuing forward and Obito taking a right to the heart of the city.

As Kakashi neared the train station, he tilted his head up to the humungous corporate lawyer firm planted centre in the city; white and gleaming under the toasted golden rays of the sun in a chilly afternoon, it overwhelmed Kakashi's presence.

He stood there for a while, just staring in blank space. It was as if he was expecting for something to happen. But as the minutes passed, he began questioning himself as of why he even took this route to the train station. Ever since that _night,_ he made sure that he would stray away from this street. Yet, here he was, stricken and absolutely enamoured by the architecture.

Just as he was about to take his leave, a conspicuous jet-black car rolled beside him. He didn't know why he stayed, he already knew who was in that car. The woman he loathed so much came out of the car, clothed in signature clothes and exuding in class.

Even though her eyes were covered behind her onyx shades, Kakashi knew that they widened upon making eyes with him. "K-Kakashi…."

He decided to humour her. "Mother." It had been months since he had addressed her properly.

"W-What are you doing here? Did you need to talk?" She came up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, all the while appraising his stature. "Why don't we talk upstairs in my office?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

Kakashi wanted to push her away, but couldn't find the strength to do so when she cradled his cheek so lovingly. "Mother…" he whimpered. He finally knew why he was so adamant in keeping away from her, because her touch would always make his heart malleable.

"Sachi-darling," a masculine man emerged from the car, completely unaware of the mother and son bonding that was transpiring.

Kakashi's eyes immediately darted to the man all clad in a black winter coat, recognising him almost instantly. That man…. He's the one who he found canoodling with his mother. _Darling?_ He wanted to question out loud. So, he wasn't a fling. They were in a committed relationship.

Sachi feared the look his son wore, with his jaw tensing in unfathomable anger. "Kakashi, _son_ , please let's talk." She quickly looked at her lover who looked cautious in coming closer. And with good reason. The last time they had an encounter, Kakashi had dragged him out of the car and nearly beat him to the ground.

"Wow," Kakashi laughed in disbelief. "At least you learned to taint your windows, mom. Now, you can screw over people in the car more discretely."

"Kakashi!"

"Young man!" The man also warned.

Kakashi glared at him, unnerved. "Don't try to talk to me."

"Sweetie, let's talk."

"No. Get off me!" Kakashi shoved his mom's arm away and backed away from the couple. He opened his mouth to say something, but was left too aghast to even try. He simply let out a scoff of disbelief before he fled away from them.

"Kakashi!" Sachi tried to catch up to him, but was held back.

"Sachi, we need to go." He reminded her. "Come on."

"He was going to talk to me. He was _here_ to talk to me. And I messed it up."

* * *

Kakashi stormed his way home, fighting through the cold currents and his urge to scream and shout all of his pent-up frustration. Flashes of the night he saw his mother's infidelity came and went through his consciousness.

He remembered seeing her car in the parking lot. He remembered approaching it with caution because the occasional silhouettes he spotted morbidly piqued his interest. Was there someone in his mom's car? What the hell was going on?

There, he saw his very own mother straddling a man in the backseat of the car. He was clawing his hands in her hips and biting into her shoulder, and she was _allowing_ him to do it. No. She wouldn't, Kakashi thought. His mother wouldn't let anyone touch her like that. Right? He must have forced himself on her! That must be it.

There's no way…

…absolutely no way in hell….

…that his mother would betray his father…

…right?

 _Right?_

" _Kakashi, honey, stop! Stop! No!"_

Blow after blow, his knuckles met the man's face. Sachi was quick to push him off from the guy he believed to be her perpetrator. Once he allowed himself to be pulled, his mother rushed to the man's aid, cradling his face so carefully.

" _Oh, god. Oh, god. You're going to be okay. Oh, god. I'm sorry."_

Kakashi remembered his mother crying for the man, pleading for the Gods to ensure that he was going to be okay. The pieces soon formed together, and Kakashi's heart broke.

 _Traitor._

Kakashi awoke by the rhythmic clattering of metal in the train, and he shifted up from his sleeping position. He squinted up at the monitor which detailed their next stop, realising that it had already past his stop. "Oh, shit."

* * *

It was already late at night, and a few hours before his shift, when he arrived. Surprisingly, his father was cooking in the kitchen.

"D-Dad!" he shrieked, pale-faced as if he saw a ghost. "W-What are you doing down here?"

"I'm making dinner. I figured that it was my turn." He replied casually, chopping tomatoes and cucumbers for their salad. "Besides, the effect of the medication allows me to do normal tasks since my hands aren't shaking." Sakumo smiled, as if to say that his son should stop worrying about him. "You sure took your time getting home."

"I'm sorry. I overslept on the train." He reasoned, dropping his bag on the kitchen table. "I saw mother today, you know…."

The chopping ceased. "Oh?" The pain still lingered in his father's voice.

"Yeah."

"Did you talk to her?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. I still can't stand her."

"Son, she's your-"

"-mother, I know." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Then you should know that you need to talk to her."

"Not after what she did – to you, to our family!" he growled. "She's still with that man, too. Has she no shame?"

Sakumo sighed and grabbed a seat. Partly because he knew that calming his son would be a task, but also because he could feel the effects of his medication beginning to wear off. "Son…"

"I'm heading up. I need to prepare for work." He said quickly, intentionally cutting him off from giving him a lecture. "I'll be down in five, father."

"Sure…" Sakumo sighed.

* * *

Kakashi came into work, fixing his tie and straightening his waistcoat, late by five minutes. Thankfully, his boss was off today so he dodged the possibility of being reprimanded. That didn't stop manager sending a disappointed look his way, though.

"You're waiting on the tables tonight, Kakashi." She instructed.

"As always." He smiled.

"New customers," she pointed. "Lead them to their table."

"Sure thing." Kakashi nodded, turning on his heel to greet the customers. "Good evening to you—" his smiled waned when he saw Tsunade linking arms with a man. They made brief eye contact, to which she tried to shrug off with an awkward smile. "R-Right… Let me just see if you've made reservations for the night." He looked at the list of names. _Hanabusa Kenchiki,_ he took a mental note. "Right this way," he smiled, escorting them to the table located right next to the windows.

Tsunade sat herself down and removed her coat, revealing her off-shoulder black dress. It was certainly different to what she wears in school, revealing more skin than normal. The man did the same thing, all the while not breaking eye contact with her. By the looks of things, they weren't all that acquainted.

"Would you like me to take your coats?" he asked.

"Oh, thank you."

Kakashi swiftly grabbed their coats and placed their menus on the table. "Tell me when you've made your orders."

"Um..." The man raised his hand up. "I'll also have your finest bottle of red wine."

"That'll be 60,000 yen."

Hanabusa smirked. "That's quite alright. I can make that in a matter of hours."

 _Wow. So much for being humble_ …

"And besides," he said, reaching out for Tsunade's hand, "she's worth it. Don't you think so?"

Kakashi glanced back at his teacher who was red-streaked. Not because she was flattered by this man's pompous attempts, but because she was embarrassed that he was _here,_ serving them. He gulped and looked back at her date. "W-Well, I'm be back with your wine."

Hanabusa chuckled, noticing that he dodged the question. "Thank you, young man."

As he moved to put their coats in their inventory, he let out a frustrated groan. Can this night get any worse?

It can, and it did, he would later answer.

* * *

A/N: These chapters are seriously writing themselves. XD I can't stooooppppp.


	6. Chapter 6

**Closer**

If she knew that accepting this blind date would be the bane of her existence, she wouldn't have bothered to crawl out of her apartment. Especially since her student was serving them. While he tried to keep his composure, his occasional glances at her wasn't exactly discrete. He looked as if he wanted to ask why she came to this restaurant, out of the hundreds of other 5-star restaurants, dressed in _that_ no less.

So much for retaining her teacher figure for her students.

"So, what is it that you studied in college?" Hanabusa asked, chewing away at his steak.

"Medicine," she answered back, taking a sip of her wine. At this rate, she'll need a whole gallon to get her through this night. "I'm going into specialisation next year."

"Oh." He looked impressed and somewhat surprised. "I didn't figure that you'd be a _sciencey_ type."

"Why not?"

He looked at her, up and down, and smirked. "Nothing. It's not that I think you're stupid, despite what people say about blondes, but I don't know…. You don't _look_ like someone who'd be willing to be studying night and day. I see you as someone who likes going out, meeting people, partying…"

"Ah…" This time she wasn't so discrete, she chugged an entire glass of wine down. With each sentence, this guy was becoming more and more irritating. "Well, I tend to surprise people."

"You do," he chuckled, again his eyes darted from her face. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

 _Yeah… can you be more obvious when you stare at my breasts?_ She wanted to snap, but knew that the idea was a terrible one. Especially since she could see Kakashi, at the corner of her eye, keeping his watch on them. He was doing a terrible job, too, bumping into other waiters because he wasn't paying attention.

She gave a small smile. "What is it that you do for fun?"

He smirked at her question. It may not have been a good idea to ask him that, actually. He might have gotten the wrong idea. "For one, I love meeting beautiful people such as yourself." Again, he reached out, but this time not for her hand. Since he was sat beside her, as opposed to being adjacent, his hand was able to glide on her leg. "For two, I love showing women a good time." He whispered in her ear. "If you're goo—"

"D-Do yo-you need me to clear your plates?" Kakashi stuttered, trying not to look at Tsunade.

She sighed, but was thankful that he interrupted them. He must have seen how uncomfortable she was, because he certainly didn't need to ask if they wanted their table clearing. Their table was still filled with food, after all.

Hanabusa looked up at Kakashi, trying his hardest to remain cordial. "No, young man, it's all good."

"S-Sure…." For the first time, he made eye contact with Tsunade to send a subliminal message: _Are you okay?_

She gave a silent nod. And he hesitantly carried on to the next table.

Tsunade cleared her throat and leaned away from Hanabusa, purposely crossing her legs so he wouldn't dare try to slip his hand in her inner thigh. He backed away to his own seat and continued to slice his steak.

Tsunade uncomfortably played with her hair as she tried to eat her dinner. Honestly, she has lost her appetite. With her date being a degrading asshole and her student witnessing this catastrophe, she was no longer in the mood to eat. All she wanted was her bed. And no, Hanabusa wasn't going in bed with her. This guy has ruined his chances the moment he started listing these expensive cuisines in her face, practically flaunting his wealth – nay, his _family's_ wealth.

"Aren't you hungry?" He finally asked, gesturing his knife at her pasta. "You've barely touched your plate."

"Oh… um… I a-ate before coming here. It was a stupid move, I know."

"Did you think that I was going to bring you into a cheap restaurant?" he grinned. "Women often think that with blind dates. But I like spoiling women, because I think that it's a man's duty to take care of women. On our next date, you should remember not to eat beforehand."

 _He's already thinking of a next date?_ She groaned. Was she unconsciously sending him signals of hope that she was interested? With her lack of dialogue, she'd think that he'd understand that this date wasn't going well. Or was he so self-absorbed with the amount of money he has flaunted, to care? Did he think that she was in his debt?

"I'll keep that in mind…." She said, twirling her loosely curled locks around her index finger.

"Would you like to get out of here early? You know, have our desserts now and go back to my place." His eyes twinkled at the end of his sentence. His hand was planted on her body again and he smirked deviously, already mentally undressing her. "We can pop another bottle of wine and…. get to know each other. If things go well, you can stay the night and we can have fun."

She laughed. "You're upfront, aren't you?"

"I thought women like that?" He grinned, leaning closer to her. "I thought _you'd_ like it if I took charge."

"We barely know each other."

"Give me a chance and we'll know each other well enough by the end of the night." He took her chin and turned her to him. "With everything I've done, you can't just write me off so easily." His gaze lowered to her lips and he leaned in.

Tsunade tilted her head in time so he would kiss her cheek instead. "I need to freshen up." She said quickly, grabbing her handbag and dashing as fast as she could to the toilets. She didn't even bother to wait for his validation.

* * *

Kakashi was waiting another table when he witnessed Tsunade hastily head up to the toilets. He looked back at her date and the disappointment was apparent in Hanabusa's face. He obviously expected to get some action tonight, Kakashi internally laughed.

"And what drinks would you like?" he smiled, turning back to the table of five. He absent-mindedly wrote down their others, nodding along to pretend that he was invested in them. "I'll be back with your drinks. Your main course may take thirty minutes to make. Will that be alright with you?"

"Yes, that will be fine."

"Great!" He collected their menus and hurried to the bar.

By the time he had served his designated tables, he noticed that Tsunade hasn't returned to her date yet. Mildly concerned, he headed up the stairs and knocked on the women's toilets. "Um… S-Senju-sama?" he called.

" _I can't believe that you set me up with a person like him!"_ He heard on the other side of the door. She was talking to her friend…. Or maybe ex-friend by the way things were going. _"What did you say to him?"_ He heard her gasp in disbelief. _"I'm not looking for flings, you moron! Oh, god, Jiraiya… I am going to kill you! No! No one is getting fucking lucky, you perverted piece of shit!"_

Kakashi leaned against the wall. Well, at least she was alright. He decided that it was best to flee before she got out of the toilet. He was the last thing she needed. As he came down the stairs, he kept on looking back over his shoulder for her. In hindsight, he would realise that he shouldn't have done that. Because he would have avoided _this_ from happening:

"Kakashi!" His manager practically screamed.

He turned back and hit a platter of food, tripping back from the impact. If that wasn't bad enough, the entire main course splattered onto his face, with the plates following straight after.

"Oh, god!" The waitress, Anko, shrieked. "Kakashi, are you okay?"

The silver-haired man was splattered with stains from the pasta's sauce and the sizzling curry. Thankfully, the curry fell onto his shirt and not on his face. Had it made contact with his flesh, he would have suffered burns.

His manager rushed by his side with towels in her disposal. "Jesus, Kakashi, I told you to watch out."

"It would have been better if you warned me a second before." He groaned, divesting himself from his waistcoat and dress-shirt, practically stripping in front of their guests. While women enjoyed the eye-candy of his lithe body, men didn't practically like the idea of their lovers looking at a younger man's way. Not that Kakashi was aware of it, since he busied himself in cleaning the mess from himself and off the floor.

As he cleared the broken porcelain plates off from the floor, he looked up and saw Tsuande stop at the top of the stairs. It was at the moment that he felt naked, quickly burning up as she awkwardly proceeded to go down the stairs.

"A-Are you alright?" She unexpectedly knelt at his side and picked the pieces with him.

"J-Just had an accident, that's all." He tried to act suave. "Please, you can go to your date. I can do this."

She scoffed. "Do you really think that I want to go back to him? Mr. Touch-Feely is more interested about his lock of hair than me. He's just pretending to be invested, but he's not even talented to be convincing about that."

"Oh. I didn't notice that your date was going south."

She narrowed her eyes. "Shut up. Don't think I didn't see you living off my discomfort."

He quietly laughed. "I'm sorry, Senju-sama."

"Tsuande."

"Huh?"

"Don't call me 'Senju-sama' outside school. Just let me try to forget that you're in my class, who will probably be gloating about this incident tomorrow."

"I-I can't call you that…. That breaks the barrier between teacher and student." He said uncomfortably. "I'm good."

"Suit yourself. Just don't call me Senju-sama, tonight."

"R-Right."

She placed all the broken pieces on the wooden tray before she stood back up. "Will you be alright?" she asked, tugging her dress to smooth it out. "Because if you are, I'll be going back to the Hellish Date."

"I-I'm good, thanks."

"Oi, Kakashi, here's a spare shirt." His male co-worker threw a large shirt over him. "Get changed in the back. I've got this."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Dude, just go. We can't have boss seeing this on his spy cams."

"G-Good point."

* * *

The rest of the night continued amicably as it could possibly get. Kakashi was dressed in a shirt that was a size bigger than him, and he smelt of curry. That didn't measure to how bad Tsunade's date was going, however. Maybe she became tired of his ramblings or she couldn't stand seeing his face anymore, because some time during their dinner she let him kiss her. That man was more than eager to kiss her, but was let down when she refused to let it escalate.

They ordered their desert – chocolate torte for Tsunade, and raspberry cheesecake for Hanabusa. As per usual, Tsunade made sure to consume a lot of wine, smiling and trying to engage with her date's ramblings.

When Tsunade received a call, she went on outside and accepted it. Kakashi cleared the other tables and wiped down the glass tables, all the while knowing that her date was scrutinising him. But after a while, Kakashi noticed at he wasn't being watched because his value as a waiter was being measured, but because Hanabusa was making sure he wasn't paying attention.

But he _was_ paying attention. And he saw him slip a concoction in Tsunade's wine. At that moment, they were staring directly at each other. _What the hell did he do?_ Kakashi felt a cold shiver down his spine. Did he spike her drink?

"Young man, come here" he ordered.

Kakashi hesitantly came towards him. "A-Are you o-o-ordering anything else?"

"I know you saw."

"H-Huh?" He played dumb. "Saw what?"

"Here." Hanabusa pulled out a handful of notes from his wallet. "J-Just for your silence, alright? Come on, help a man out. You see her, don't you? I know you do, because you've been staring all night. Who wouldn't want a piece of that? So, I'm telling you to look the other way." He pushed the notes up to his face. "What do you say?"

"Um…."

"Are you paying already?" Tsunade asked, approaching them. "I said that I'll be paying half."

"No, no. Don't bother, Tsunade." Hanabusa replied. "I was just giving this man his tip. I enjoyed his company tonight, so I thought to reward him." He gazed up at him. " _Take it_."

Kakashi took the money from his hands and nodded. "Thank you, sir."

His lips arched into a darkened grin. "Thank _you._ "

Kakashi watched as Tsunade drank her tampered wine, and his stomach dipped in disgust. Nevertheless, he bowed and took his leave from the table.

* * *

 _A few minutes later…._

"It's getting quite hot in here…" Tsunade announced, looking at her surroundings that were becoming pale and blurry. She blinked a couple of times, but her vision remained impaired. She looked at her date who was staring at her intently. "Don't you feel hot?"

"With you by my side, of course I do." He cheekily said, taking a sip from his drink. "Why won't you drink more wine?"

"N-No… I've had enough for the night." She replied, feeling her herself as she tried to process what was happening. Her breathing felt shallow and her eyes were feeling too heavy. She was not a light-weight by any means, so it wasn't the alcohol that was making her act this way. What could it be?

"Let's call it a night." Hanabusa eagerly proposed, calling for Kakashi. "And don't you worry, I'll pay for your half. You can pay me back in _another_ way."

Tsunade shifted on her seat. "I-I just need to go to the bathroom for a sec."

"You've been going there quite a bit. A-Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry… I'll be quick."

"Sure thing, babe."

* * *

Tsunade closed the door behind her and began to panic. Her body was beginning to betray her and everything was beginning to spin. She gripped at the marble sink to regain her composure. And that's when it hit. Did he tamper with her drink? No. He wouldn't. Not with a lot of people around, especially not with Kakashi doting on them.

" _Take it."_ She remembered him giving Kakashi an early tip in the night. Did he _bribe_ Kakashi into silence?

She wanted to puke. If she was right about this, her student just sold her out to her potential rapist. "Oh god…" she sank down on the floor. There was nothing she could do. In her disorientated state, she forgot to get her cellphone. Now, she was left helpless in the toilet. He could come here and force her into whatever he wanted right now. Especially since she was losing feeling of her limbs.

She wanted to cry, to scream, to do anything that would vent her frustration, but even her mouth betrayed her.

Quick and heavy footsteps alerted her, and she gasped when the toilet door was torn open. She expected it to be Hanabusa, but upon gazing up, she saw Kakashi practically panting in front of her. "S-Senju-sama!" He shrieked, locking the toilet door behind him before approaching her. "Oh god. I've got you, don't worry."

"W-What are you doing here?" she whispered. "This is the women's toilets." She may have said that, but she was glad that he was there with her.

He chose to ignore her as he pressed his hand on her forehead. She was burning up. "He's waiting for you downstairs."

She grabbed onto his shirt and shook her head frantically. "No." She whimpered. "I can't go back to him."

"I'm not letting you go with him, Senju-sama," he clarified. "I'm going to bring you to our staff room. I-I saw him slip something in your drink. I'm-I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I-I didn't know what to do. But there's no way I'm letting him take you out of this restaurant."

Tsunade allowed for him to pull her back on her feet, but since her motor skills were messed up, she ended up leaning up against him in complete desperation. She was softly panting at this point, and her cheeks were burning up in a bright pink hue. She clawed her nails into his shirt to stabilise herself, and she buried her face into his neck to prevent him from seeing her face.

Kakashi didn't know what was worse, the fact that he'll be dragging a woman from the women's toilets, or that his teacher was practically glued onto his body. He shook his head, knowing that this wasn't the time to think about those things. It wasn't like she planned for this to happen.

He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "We'll need to go downstairs. Do you think you can manage that?"

"He-He'll see me!"

"I-I know, but don't worry…." His rubbed her back in comfort.

"This is pathetic. I'm sorry."

He took her hand and gently led her out of the toilet. "Come on."

By the time they reached the landing of the stairs, Hanabusa was waiting for her near the entrance. He looked enlightened when he saw them, immediately walking their way. "Oh, you don't look so well. I-I'll take you home." He reached for her arm, but Kakashi was quick to swat it away. "H-Hey. What are you doing? I'm said that I'm taking my girlfriend home."

 _Girlfriend?_ Tsunade shrieked. Since when?

"She's not going home with you…."

"Obviously not. I'm taking her back to her place, because she's not doing so well." He tried to reach out again, but Kakashi intercepted his hand and grappled him by his wrist.

"I said she's _not_ coming home with you."

Hanabusa was evidently angry by this. Not only has he spent a lot of money to bed the blonde, but now he's being cockblocked by the waiter he thought he bribed. Kakashi did throw the money back at his face a while ago, but he didn't think that he would have the guts to go up against him.

"W-What's going on here?" The manager asked, hands on her hips.

"He's just leaving," Kakashi said casually, eyes hardened on the man.

Hanabusa scoffed, but later realised that all of the customers were looking at him. The odds were certainly not in his favour. With a disgruntled scoff, he turned around and headed to the entrance. "Fucking bitch," he grumbled under his breath.

"Is this lady alright?" The manager asked, analysing how pale Tsunade had become.

"I'll bring her to the staff room."

"Y-Yeah. I'll drive her home after this shift."

Knowing that Tsunade's motor skills was impaired, Kakashi scooped her up and hooked her legs over his arm, much to her dismay. He carried her to the staff room, and laid her down on the couch. "Here," he offered her a bottle of chilled water.

Tsunade sat up and accepted the bottle. "T-Thanks…" she whispered.

He sat beside her and cloaked her body with his coat. "My manager has offered to drive you home. I hope you don't mind resting here for another hour."

"I'm just grateful I didn't go with him. Who knows what would have happened." Her hazel eyes focused on him. "What you did, and how you stood your ground, saved me tonight. Thank you, Kakashi."

He allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder and he smiled. He too was thankful that he pieced the fragments together. "Don't worry about it, Senju-sama."

He felt her smile which, in turn, made him smile in relief.

* * *

 _The next day…._

Kakashi was late for homeroom, but surprisingly for the other students, so was Tsunade. In fact, they walked into class together. Both Rin and Obito looked at each other in complete confusion. Kakashi whispered something in Tsunade's ear before he walked to his desk. And Tsunade proceeded to walk to her own desk.

"Good morning, class," she greeted, tired and without the same gusto she normally packed on other days.

After homeroom, every student stood up and prepared themselves to go into their first lesson. "Kakashi, can I talk to you for a while?" she asked, not gazing up from the paperwork she was filling out. Okay, now Obito and Rin were curious. The fact that she didn't call him _Kakashi-san,_ too, was suspicious.

"Of course." Kakashi didn't look surprised that she asked for him to stay behind.

Tsunade finally gazed up and saw that his friends had not left. "Obito-san and Rin-san, you can leave."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

When it was just the two of them, Tsunade sighed and sat on the edge of her desk. "I just wanted to thank you again for last night."

Kakashi sauntered towards her until he was a foot away. "How are you?" The last time he saw her, she was kneeling over a bin, throwing up.

"Good. Your manager surprisingly knew a lot about roofies, and she made me a homemade remedy to combat its side effects." Her hand glided down his bicep as she smiled wholeheartedly. "I'm in your debt, Kakashi."

He was instantly captured by her radiant smile and he bashfully looked away. "I-I would have done it for anyone."

"I know you would have. I just happened to be the one you saved."

He suddenly reached in his pocket. "O-Oh. Before I forget, I found this." He offered her back her earring. "It must have fallen when you fell asleep on the couch."

"I forgot I was even wearing earrings last night since it was such a blur. Thank you… _again._ "

Kakashi nodded. "It's no problem, really."

"We didn't have the best night, did we?" She smirked.

"I smelt like curry last night. The amount of questionable stares I got was more than I could handle."

"I can't believe I went on a date with a man like him."

"Yeah, me too."

They laughed together, mainly to ease the pain of last night's memory.

For a while they became silent, but then Tsunade cleared her throat. He looked at her, confused. "M-My hand, Kakashi. I'd like it back." He shrieked back and stumbled backwards upon realising that he had been holding onto her hand since she tried to take her earring back.

"T-That wasn't.. I didn't…."

"Don't worry about it."

"Good morning, Senju-sama!" The door was pried open and a couple of young boys in the lower year came in, ready for their lesson.

"Good morning," she waved.

"I-I'll be on my way." Kakashi bowed and quickly ran out of class. He was so frantic that he didn't even notice that Rin had waited for him outside of the classroom, and had seen everything that transpired.

"Kakashi…"

* * *

A/N: Merry Christmas! (It's early, I know, but still...). This is my last daily update. So I hope you enjoyed it. Also, just know that this Hanabusa problem is not yet over. There's more. :P


	7. Chapter 7

_Dedicated to U3Fan, because you're the best reviewer!_

 **Dark Secrets**

 _Minutes before….._

"I'll wait for Kakashi," Rin told Obito when they stepped out of their homeroom.

He turned to her. "Oh. I'll wait with you, then."

She shook her head. "No. You can go ahead."

He looked puzzled, and with good reason since she hasn't given him an explanation as to why she was so adamant in waiting for their friend. After all, he was just talking to their biology teacher. He cocked his head for a moment, but found no answer from his brunette friend. "W-Well…. I'll see you in class, I guess."

Rin gave her signature sweet-smile that could fool everybody apart from Kakashi and Obito. He knew something was wrong with her, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Ever since a few days ago, she has been acting out more lately: leaving the group more frequently, making eyes with Kakashi more insistently. It was as if she was getting desperate.

"Obito!" Asuma snuck up behind him and held him in a headlock. "Come on, dude, we'll be late for class." He glanced up at Rin. "Come on, Rinnie. Let's get to class."

"I'm waiting for Kakashi. You guys go ahead." She politely declined.

"Suit yourself. That Danzo-sensei isn't forgiving with tardiness." Asuma warned, dragging Obito away.

After a couple of seconds of letting himself being man-handled by Asuma, he pushed him off from him and sighed in relief. "Geez. Were you trying to kill me?"

"I had to drag you out of there by force. I didn't know if you would come with me." The Sarutobi boy reasoned evenly. "I wanted to talk to you, that's all."

"About what?"

"About Rin and Kakashi during Kurenai's party." He reminded, immediately seeing the Uchiha's face become apprehensive. "I thought Rin confessed to Kakashi that night. But when I asked Kakashi a couple of nights ago, he seemed confused. Do you know what happened?"

Obito pocketed his hands. "I may have sabotaged her plans."

"What?!"

"C'mon! Give me a break, Asuma. I couldn't handle her confessing to Kakashi, because that will break our dynamic. I didn't do anything crazy, I just pretended to be a clingy drunk. Since she couldn't get some time alone with Kakashi, she couldn't confess." He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I-I know I shouldn't have, but I can't always be her wingman when I have feelings for her."

"Does she _know_ about your feelings?"

Obito hung his head down. "No…"

"And Kakashi doesn't know about Rin's feelings?"

"I think he does, but would rather pretend that he doesn't."

"What if Kakashi were to accept Rin's feelings?"

Obito gave a pained expression, one he could not fabricate even if he wanted to. "I suppose I can't do anything about that. If my two bestfriends want to be together, who am I to stop it? At least Rin is happy, right?"

Asuma chewed onto his toothpick (a temporary substitute for his cigarette) and huffed. "You guys are too complex for my liking. When I realised that I liked Kurenai, I didn't beat around the bush. I told her straight."

"You mean, you got Kakashi to pull you guys together…" Obito have him a side-eye. "Don't think you're so suave. You confessed in a playground with Kakashi's help."

"Well, which one of us has a girlfriend now, huh?" Asuma blushed. "What I'm saying is, stop wallowing in possibilities. You'll regret it later with _what ifs_ – those what ifs are the worst! You don't want them hanging over your head. But by staking your pride, you'll see the outcome without any regrets."

"I know…." He whispered. "But it's hard competing with someone as perfect as Kakashi. Even if he is my friend, I still feel jealous of him. He's good at nearly everything, and he's adored by everyone. I'm not surprised that Rin also has feelings for him."

Asuma looked at the sulking Uchiha and looked out to windows. If only he knew the other side of Kakashi that he was privy to. Because if he knew about that, then he would come to understand that even his beloved rival was far from perfect. That, he, too, was living in false perfectionism.

* * *

Rin was playing with her hands in anticipation. They have been in the classroom for a while now. Could she be lecturing him again? Rin wouldn't put it past any teacher to lecture Kakashi. After all, he has a lot riding on him. She looked down at her feet and tried to remain patient. That was until she heard a feminine laugh from within the classroom.

Her ears perked up and she hurried to the classroom door, peering into the glass window of it. There she saw Kakashi in close contact with Tsunade, and they were making causal conversation. It all seemed fine until she saw Kakashi's eyes crease up in interest to whatever Tsunade said, smirking ruggedly.

Much to Rin's shock, she saw that Kakashi was also holding her hand, and Tsunade was letting him do this. What the _fuck_ was going on with the two of them? After a couple of seconds, Kakashi began to stammer and blush like the teen he was, immediately apologising. Tsunade seemed to brush it off with a smile.

Just as Rin was about to press her ear into the door, a platoon of footsteps filled the halls, making her back away from the door. It seemed that class was starting, and she has yet to come to hers.

"Good morning, Senju-sama," the lower years greeted in sync.

She planned on peering through and getting Kakashi from class, but was taken aback when she saw him dash out of the classroom as if he had committed a murder. But with the way she understood it, Kakashi was taking a liking to their new teacher a little too much. And the same could be said for Tsunade. Which was disgusting, because she was supposed to be the adult in their dynamic. She should know that it is illegal to commit in a romantic relationship with a student – a minor, at that.

"Did you need to talk to me, Rin-san?" Tsunade asked, suddenly coming outside of the classroom.

The teen was stunned enough by what she witnessed, and even more saw that the woman she was sickened of the most was two feet away from her. Without anything to say, Rin bolted down the corridor, leaving Tsunade grasping for words at what had just happened.

Could it be? Could Kakashi be _associated_ with her? While she wasn't old enough to be classed as a cougar, she was still sick to allow their relationship to progress into something _more._ It has never been ethical for students and teachers to commit to each other. Surely Kakashi knew this, too.

Once she arrived in class, she saw Kakashi sat on top of his desk, conversing with both Asuma and Obito. Everything seemed normal with him. Like nothing has changed. When in fact, things have changed.

" _Right?"_ She heard Kakashi exclaim excitedly. "Wasn't it cool when he just swooped in for the kill! It's about time that he got the screen time he deserved." It seemed like they were engaging in their daily conversation of anime. As per usual, Kakashi had his geek on as they exchanged their highlights of the episode.

"Yeah! Did you see that cliffhanger coming? I didn't!" Asuma eagerly said.

"I know right!" Both Kakashi and Obito gasped.

The noise in the classroom suddenly became convoluted and all Rin heard was white-noise, but her attention remained fixated on Kakashi: the way he smiled and laughed with his friends, oblivious to her presence. That was until he looked up at the door and made contact with her. His smile widened, and he gestured for her to come over. "Rin!" he called.

"Where did you go?" Obito questioned, one brow up. "I thought you were waiting for Kakashi."

It was as that moment when she saw Kakashi's enlighten expression fade. "O-Oh… I went to the toilet. Kinda had girl problems, if you know what I mean."

"Ewww!" Asuma grimaced. "TMI, Rin!"

Even Obito looked repulsed at her casual bomb shell. "Gee… a warning would have been great, Rin."

Unsurprisingly, Kakashi was not fazed by her white lie. His hands were clasped together, and he had his attention fixed on her for the wrong reasons before he clicked his tongue. He knew that she had been spying on him… _again._

He didn't talk to her for the rest of the day.

* * *

At the end of the day, Rin was frantically running around school for Kakashi. She needed to talk to him. Sources from fellow peers told her that he was in the field, practising his runs, but others said that he was at a swim meet. The leisure activities were at opposite ends of the school grounds, so running back and forth with four binders in her arms was an unfortunate task for her to do. But with adrenaline and guilt fuelling her body, she was more than willing to do it.

"Kakashi just left." The swim coach informed her.

So, here she was, running and hoping she could make amends with him. She ran through the halls, knowing that it was against school policy to run within its vicinity. By know she was growing desperate. She came out of the school buildings and hurried to where the bikes were parked. He often took that route to get out of the school area.

Much to her relief, she saw him by the gates. But to her horror, he was with _her._ Judging their body language alone, Rin got the impression that something serious had happened. For one, she saw that Tsunade acting frantic and…. _afraid_. While she couldn't see Kakashi's face, she could see that he was livid.

She tried to come closer to them, so that Tsunade could pick up her nearing presence. _Get away from him…_ Rin wanted to say. Why were they always together? She knew that Tsunade needed to closely supervise Kakashi, because of his lowering grades, but the relationship they formed was too close for her taste. After all, Kakashi was still a man. And Tsunade was an attractive woman. It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to resist her if she were to come onto him.

"Ka—" Her eyes widened when Kakashi pulled Tsunade in for an embrace. Even the blonde looked surprised but, again, she let him. He was quick to pull away, to say things to ease her uneasy mood. Tsunade nodded along, but also disagreed with some of the things Kakashi said. That didn't change Kakashi's flare as he gripped her by her shoulders.

Rin couldn't take this. She had to go. But as she turned to leave, she tripped over a bike's tilted wheel, causing her to gasp and trip. Her folders spread in a mess and her knees skidded over the pavement. She winced in pain, but was quick to forget it when she heard Kakashi's voice.

"Rin!" Was he calling her because he was frightened that she would tell the headteacher of what she had seen, or was he genuinely worried for her? He pulled her up on her feet and collected her folders for her. He frowned at her when she refused to look at him. "A-are you alright?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't form her words. All she could do is look at him – the man he's loved for so long – and at _her._ She didn't know what was going on, but something was brewing between them. And it hurt. It hurt more than when rumours of Kakashi and Shizune spread across high school.

While Kakashi never denied or confirmed the rumours, Rin was relieved that he stopped hanging out with Shizune as much. He cared for her feelings more than Shizune's, and respected them.

But with this….. She didn't know how to handle it.

"I'll get plasters from the infirmary." Tsunade said quickly.

"No!" Rin shouted. There's no way that she would want her help. She saw Kakashi flinch back, but she didn't apologise. She won't apologise for this. "I-I'm fine."

"Rin, your knees are bleeding. Let's disinfect it and put a plaster over it."

"I only want you to come." She then looked Tsunade head on. "Not her."

Tsunade was clearly taken aback, but once again, Kakashi respected her wishes. "Alright." He took her hand and led her back inside. Not without looking back at the older woman, of course. That didn't matter, though. All that mattered was that she got him away from Tsunade, and that he was there for her. She felt the warm radiance of his hand as he escorted her to the infirmary. If only she could experience this kind of warmth every day.

* * *

Once in the infirmary, Rin was sat on one of the beds as Kakashi placed a plaster on both knees. "What were you doing, Rin?" he finally asked. "Were you spying on me _again_? Like you did this morning?"

"No-No… I was just –"

"Just tell me the truth, Rin."

"I was looking for you, because I wanted to apologise for this morning!" She truthfully told, hands clenched on her skirt. "I'm sorry for being worried for you. I'm sorry for trying to be your friend! But you can't expect me to be alright with your relationship with our new teacher!"

Kakashi's face scrunched up. "What?"

"What is going on between the two of you?" She cried out. "It's fucking creepy, you know! She's been here for just a week, and suddenly you turn a 180 with your attitude! I don't know what magic she has on you, but it's very effective! I can see that when you _hugged_ her!"

"Rin…"

"But I get it, she's really attractive. I just thought that you would choose more wisely. She's your teacher, Kakashi. These relationships just don't work."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He snapped, agitated. "What theories have you been concocting in your spare time? Are you that fixated on me that you're spinning new stories in that head of yours? Me and Senju-sama? How insane are you?"

"How can you expect me to not think that something is happening between the two of you? You were holdings hands in her classroom, Kakashi! If anything, you might have already made your move and kissed her!"

"Jesus Christ." He huffed, chuckling in disbelief. "Wh-What are you going to accuse me of, next? Huh? Wh-What?" He stood there with his hands on his hips. "Oh. I know! I _must_ be screwing with Senju-sama, right? Because there isn't any other explanation!"

"If there is another explanation, tell me!" Rin yelled back.

Kakashi looked like he was going to tell her, but hesitated. He cleared his throat before he hastily grabbed his bag. "It's not in my place to." When he pushed the door open, he looked over his shoulder. "But your little theory couldn't be more incorrect, Rin."

The door slammed behind him, and Rin was left in a bubbling mess.

* * *

 _Minutes before…._

"See you tomorrow, Kisame-sensei." Kakashi waved as he took his leave. As usual, he headed to the shortcut home – the parking lot. He plugged his earphones in and paced himself out of school.

As he neared the back gates, he saw Tsunade conversing with a man. The _same_ man from last night. Things escalated before he could rush by her side – Hanabusa tried to grab her by her arm, but she was quick to flip him on his back. The man fell pathetically on the ground with a _thud,_ but that didn't stop his persistence. He still pursued her like a dog. He basically found her self-defence attractive, and her defiance sexy.

Given the man's muscle to fat ratio, it was safe to assume that he worked out. And that he wouldn't last in a fight with him. Nevertheless, Kakashi still divided him from his teacher. He gently shoved Tsunade back and kept his arm stretched out to Hanabusa. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Hanabusa looked surprised at first, but was later unfazed. It was clear that he had forgotten his face already.

"Go before I call the authorities." Tsunade spoke, resolute.

He tried to move closer to her, but was stopped when Kakashi blocked him. "I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you." Knowing that his action could provoke a brawl, he pushed him away from Tsunade. " _Leave."_

Their threat seemed to work, because he, once again, took his leave. It wasn't until after he drove off that Tsunade released her shaky breath. "This can't be happening…." She whispered to herself. "He even knows where I work."

"Did you tell him?"

"No! Of course not."

"We need to report him, Senju-sama." He suggested. "If we leave this issue, it could escalate to full on stalking. God knows what he's thinking!"

"I know.. I know…" She ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. "He told me he wanted to apologise. I didn't think that he would meet me in the parking lot! He didn't even apologise. He just wanted to lure me out."

"What did he do?"

"Tried to coerce me into another date with him. And when I refused, well… let's just say that it could have gotten more physical. Especially since the school is not sparse of students, he could have easily….." The dread that filled her face was enough to compel Kakashi to console her in the only way he knew how – by embracing her.

He knew that it was inappropriate to do so, but she needed to feel a sense of security. Even if it was for a moment. He felt her hand try to push him away at first, but she ultimately relented by leaning closer to him.

"Thank you…" she breathed quietly.

He held her like she was a fragile porcelain cup, even though he knew damn well that she was a tank. A woman as feisty like her is always a force to be reckon with. But even tanks have weaknesses. She needed someone, and he was there for her. He knows what she's been through – he was there – so he had the right to console her.

After relishing in her warmth and sweet perfume, he pulled away from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. "If you'd like, I can go to the police station with you. We can file a report. My manager can testify, too! We have security cameras at the restaurant for evidence. We can deal with that creepy bastard!"

"Do you think that I'll be able to put a dent on his affluent family? They could easily bribe the police!" Tsunade said back. "When I say he's rich, I mean he's _filthy rich._ "

"We need to do something! Any—"

A shriek caused him to look back. There, he saw Rin on the ground. Almost instantly, he rushed to her aid, fearing for the worst. Did she hit her head? Was she hurt? A lot of questions spiralled through his mind, but none of them asked if she saw them. He didn't care, because there was nothing to hide.

But then the accusations happened.

He understood the hurt on her part, but he couldn't see why she was so quick on accusing him of being attracted to other women. He was connected to the incident that transpired; he couldn't just leave Tsunade to it! Not when he knew it would be in his conscience if anything were to happen to her. He wasn't…. attracted to her.

As he went by his homeroom, he slowed down until he saw Tsunade in her classroom. She was on a phonecall with someone, but as distressed as she looked, he knew he couldn't come in. Instead, he walked past the classroom and hurried on home.

He _wasn't._

* * *

Tsunade sat in her apartment that night, half-expecting for Hanabusa to show up at her door. Thankfully, her apartment complex remained quiet. She lounged on her couch in deep contemplating as she waited for her visitor, Jiraiya, to come. The past day had become a rollercoaster with her. She certainly didn't expect for her student to be entangled in the middle of it, nor did she expect him to be truly invested in her well-being.

She also didn't see most of their encounters to have an element of physical contact. Up until now. She couldn't read Kakashi in those moments. Couldn't see what his true motives were. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would do favours for his own motives, though. And he certainly didn't seem like he was acting to care, wherein he was just a horny teen trying to tick off a wish from their bucket list – banging a teacher.

No. Kakashi seemed genuine with her. And while their interactions can be deemed inappropriate in the realms of school, there was no harm meant by it. Especially since they weren't attracted to each other. But it hurt Rin, nonetheless. The pained look on that girl's face replayed in her mind over and over again. Rin seemed threatened.

"Oh, no!" Tsunade suddenly gasped out loud. Rin wasn't thinking that she and Kakashi were…. _Oh god no…._

A sudden rapt on the door stopped Tsunade's inner cringe.

She answered the door and allowed her gallant friend to walk into her apartment. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Jiraiya." She crossed her arms, ready to confront him. "You have invited a psychopath into my life!"

"Relax. He's harmless." He said back, leaning against her wall. "He's anything but a stalker."

"He knows where I work!"

"I told him."

"You, what?!" She screamed. "Why in God's name did you tell him?!"

"He told me that he wanted to apologise. So, I gave him your work address."

"You're a stupid, _stupid_ man, Jiraiya! How dare you give out my information without _my_ consent!" She was practically shouting at the top of her lungs, and her neighbours could probably hear her as clear as day, but she couldn't care less.

"I didn't think much of it."

"He spiked my drink, you fucking idiot. I told you that! He had the intention to _rape_ me!" She snarled sharply, pushing against the gallant. "You set me up with a pompous bastard who can't take 'no' as an answer!"

"I didn't know about this!" Jiraiya lightly defended. "I didn't even know that this is why you wanted me to come here tonight."

"Well, why else would I call you here?! I'm too scared to go out, Jiraiya. What if I come back and he's under my bed or something? I'm telling you, he's a psychopath!"

Jiraiya rubbed her arms and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Princess. I was oblivious to this. I swear." He kissed the crown of her head. "But in all fairness, I thought you called me here tonight because you were feeling lonely again."

She glanced up at him, obviously disgusted. "Is that all you have to say? You came here because you thought we were going to have sex?!" She swatted his arms away and pushed him to the wall. "You fucking pig. I never thought that you would be this despicable."

"What? We used to do it all the time. Until you decided you were too good for me, that is."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that why you set me up with a guy like him?"

"I mean, I was got up in the moment."

" _You fucking bastard!"_ She struck him across the face. "Get the fuck out of my apartment. Get out! Get out!"

"Calm down, Tsunade!" He grabbed both of her wrists and tried to keep her still. "I said I was caught up in the moment. I thought I set you up with a douchebag, not a rapist. Do you think I'm that twisted to let a man defile you?"

"You tell me!" She growled. "You obviously didn't want us to end. I wouldn't put it past you to do something like this."

"Well, newsflash Princess, I didn't. I genuinely thought that he was harmless." When he was certain that she wouldn't lash out at him, he released her hands. "I'll do something about him," he finally reassured.

Tsunade huffed and walked away from him. "You better," she muttered.

Jiraiya chuckled. She still had her spirit. Now that that issue was resolved (kind of. Not that it truly mattered), he came behind her and wrapped her arms around her body before he inhaled the scent of her hair. "Come on, don't be like this. I've missed you…." He whispered, kissing her neck and brushing his fingers across her breasts.

She huffed exasperatedly. "Jira… I'm not in the mood."

"You are never in the mood until I get you into bed."

"S-Stop. I'm not joking, Jira." She said, prying his hands away.

"Neither am I."

Knowing that relenting was easier than fighting him, she soon allowed for his hands to touch her.

He smirked, working to untie her silken robe. When her clothing pooled around her feet, he already had her in his arms. He relentlessly worked to rip her undergarments from her before he pushed her down on her couch.

"I fucking hate you," she said.

He loomed over her, his hand clasping her throat. "I hate you just as much."

In a rough motion, he entered her.

* * *

A/N: I don't know what witch-craft allowed me to write another chapter, but it's kinda freaking me out. XD (I already have a part of Chapter 8 written out, too). So I guess daily updates aren't dead yet?

I found it hard to write another dynamic for Tsunade and Jiraiya, since I'm used to portraying them as best buds. This will all be explained in later chapters. I also enjoyed writing scenes from different perspectives. It was really fun to play around with it. :) There will be more scenes from Tsunade's perspective, too. Meaning, more of her story will be revealed eventually.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

xox


	8. Chapter 8

**Dark Secrets II**

Tsunade gasped and gripped at the throw-pillow beside her. Her body instinctively arched in response to his thrusts. She didn't know what she hated most: that he was inside her, or that her body was responding against her will. She gazed up at the man and saw him begin to pant. He was about to cum. Even after all the fucking sessions they've done, he's never lasted long with her.

Jiraiya unexpectedly scooped her off from the couch and propped her on his lap, eagerly penetrating her in their new position. He groaned upon entering her womanhood in a deeper angle. His fingers laced with her wet locks and he tugged at it, as he suckled on her breasts.

She gazed at him with half-lidded eyes, with her lips quivering at his large member's scarring her womanhood in rough and deep thrusts. She weltered her nails into his shoulder and finally succumbed into moaning his name, knowing that only turned him on.

Jiraiya grinned as he smacked her backside, urging her to roll her hips to send him careening to his orgasm. After a few more thrusts, he unexpectedly pulled out of her and ejaculated all over her body. As expected, he had cum before she even reached her peak. She would think that after all the times he's fucked her, he would know how to make her cum. But then again, she often gave him more credit when it came to sex.

"You're as tight as ever…." He moaned, his fingers gripping her waist. "You've not have much dicks after me, have you?"

"Le-Let me go….." she murmured, finally hopping off his lap. She sat away from him and ensured he kept his distance.

"Well, have you?"

"Have I what?" she snapped back.

"Had other friends with benefits."

"I've been too busy with work. I don't have enough time to have sex."

"Oh, yeah…. You're a teacher now, aren't you?" His grin widened. "I've always wanted to fuck a teacher. I guess I can tick that off my bucket list." He placed his hand on her knees. "I wouldn't peg you as the teacher type, especially since teachers are supposed to be these saints. And you're far from a saint."

"If you truly think that teachers are like saints, you're delusional."

He guffawed at her snarky remark. "Do you want round 2?" His hand pushed her legs apart and he moved to stroke her inner thigh.

"And waste another 5 minutes of my life? Give me a break." She pushed his hand away.

Jiraiya laughed again. He eventually zipped his pants back up. "You're fucking sexy, you know. Too bad you're a stick in a mud." He leaned in for a kiss, but as expected she refused to allow him to touch her lips. "So, you let me fuck you, but you won't let me kiss you. You're the same as always."

She threw a pillow at him, but he caught it successfully. "I swear, if I see your friend again, Jiraiya."

"I told you that I'd take care of it." He pushed her hair back and settled with kissing her cheek, then her neck. His tongue sizzled on her skin, but she decided to bear with it. "As much as I hate your guts, I do owe you one. If you'd like, I'll also stay here with you. You know, to make sure you're safe."

She scoffed. "And what would you like in return?"

"You."

* * *

Tsunade shuffled into class that morning, clad in a white long-sleeved dress shirt that was tucked in black high-waisted trousers. Thankfully it was the autumn season, so no one would question her for buttoning her shirt near to the top, leaving only one button open. She couldn't afford for her colleagues or students to see the lovebites Jiraiya left on her clavicle and chest.

Even though she hated his touches, she accepted it. She didn't want to admit it, because she was innately a prideful woman, but she was truly frightened by the possibility that _he_ could pay her a visit during the night. She'd rather have Jiraiya in her bed rather than the possibility of Hanabusa forcing himself on her in her bed.

Her khaki heels clicked together as she resumed her position on the edge of the desk. She scanned over the register, as usual, and ticked off those who were in. She then filed the register into her folder and sat behind the desk, allowing her students to converse with each other before their first lesson.

By allowing her students have freedom, she was also free to do whatever she pleased. So, she allocated her time to mark the cardiac test she assigned them a couple of lessons before. Surprisingly enough, most students scored above 50%, with a few students excelling: Obito Uchiha with 70%; Rin Nohara with 78%; Asuma Sarutobi, with 80%. Though, she was thoroughly surprised with Asuma's grade. Given with what he's father has said about him, she didn't think that he was academically sound.

She continued to leisurely mark the tests until she reached the final paper, Kakashi's paper. If she remembered correctly, he finished the test with 30 minutes to spare. This could indicate two things: that he didn't bother finishing the paper, or that he exceled in it.

After she marked his paper, she allocated his marks and much to her surprise he came out with a round total of 98% - with having one mark taken away from him. By the looks of things, he actually bothered to revise through her notes. She looked up at Kakashi, who was sat at the back of the classroom, and saw him conversing with Obito. He seemed to notice her as he gave her a small nod of acknowledgement.

Surprisingly enough, Rin wasn't in their circle of conversation. The young girl was found to be giggling with another group of friends, one that Tsunade has never thought to be associated with one another. She scanned back at Kakashi who seemed to take glances at Rin every minute or so, and at Rin who feigned her cheers and laughs.

Did something happen between them?

When the bell started to ring, Tsunade rose from her seat and organised the papers she had marked together. The students also straightened themselves out on their seats, getting out their stationary from their bags.

Tsunade walked around class, giving back their test results. "I'm pleased to say that none of you failed. Of course, some of you passed only by a margin, but that's to be expected since I didn't give you enough time to prepare for this test." She passed Rin's paper back to her without making eye contact. God knows the girl hates her guts right now. "However, some of you went above and beyond my expectations."

At that moment, she approached Kakashi and passed him his results with a small smile. He accepted it with a frown, as if he didn't know that his work had been exceptional. He looked down at his results and immediately chuckled in disbelief. Rin looked his way and then up at her, as if she was suspicious that she rigged his marks.

"Oh, hell yes!" Obito exclaimed. "70%! That's like the highest I've ever gotten in this class!"

"Calm down, Obito-san…." Tsunade huffed, shuffling carefully back to her desk. She couldn't walk too fast since she was chafing from last night's activities. Damn that Jiraiya. "The next test will be longer, so I won't give you it until the last week of this term."

" _Yes!"_ Both Obito and Asuma celebrated with gusto.

"But keep acting out, you two, and I will change my mind." Tsunade warned with her arms crossed. When both exuberant students took their seats again, she uncrossed her arms and grabbed a chalk from the board. "Right. We're going to start a new topic today – respiration." She said, writing it across the board. "Will anyone start us off with what they know about respiration?"

Obito's hand shot up. "Yes, Obito-san."

"We need it to live!"

"Y-Yes, but try giving an answer more of your age, Obito-san."

Kakashi chuckled at the back, obviously entertained by his friend's undoing. She raised her brow. "Would you like to give an answer, Kakashi-san?" She ensured that she didn't haphazardly address him so casually, especially since she has someone watching her movements like a hawk. She honestly didn't think that Rin would act so territorial; she truly misjudged the girl.

Kakashi's mischievous smile waned. "Oh… um… Carbon dioxide is the waste product."

"Good." She walked back to the board and wrote it down. "And what gaseous element is used as the reactant?"

Asuma raised his hand up, and she nodded at him. "Air."

"Air is made up of a lot of things. Name me the element that we use, that is also a _constituent_ to air."

He rubbed his stubble for a moment, reaching deep into his knowledge. "Oh. Oxygen!" he said out loud upon reaching his eureka moment.

"Precisely." She said back, also jotting it down on the board. "Don't mistake air to be the same as oxygen. Air is made up of different components – nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon. So be specific, especially during exams."

"How come we don't inhale nitrogen by accident?" Obito asked, receiving a tiresome groan from Kakashi.

"We do inhale nitrogen, but our body cannot do anything with nitrogen. Specific plants, however, can use particular enzymes and bacteria to perform a process called nitrogen fixation." She elaborated carefully. "Nitrogen is inert when we inhale it, therefore it won't partake in any reactions, so we can just exhale it out."

Obito surprisingly looked interested. "Hm…" he said allowed, as if the way he viewed the world had changed.

"Alright. It's my turn to ask the questions." Tsunade clapped her hands together. "What allows the lungs to perform efficient gas exchange?"

* * *

By the time dinner rolled around, Tsunade was feeling very famished. She dismissed her class five minutes earlier under the false impression that she thought that they had worked hard enough for one day. When in truth, she just wanted her peace to eat.

Just as she was about to dine in her pre-made lunch, an unexpected knock caused her to shoot up. "Y-Yes?" she answered, watching the door slide in response. The person behind the door wasn't who she thought it was, but she was deeply relieved that it wasn't Kakashi. She didn't want another drama to start because one particular teenage girl thought she was trying to steal her crush.

But then again, she didn't like who her visitor was. "J-Jiraiya!" she exclaimed. "H-How did you…."

"The receptionist directed me to your class." He reasoned, having his gloved hands in his grey coat pockets.

So much for security. She closed her bento box and directed her entire attention to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to tell you that Hanabusa won't bother you anymore."

"H-H-How did you…?"

"Turns out his parents _care_ what their son does. They accompanied me to the restaurant you guys dined in, and this _really_ pretty manager explained everything. If that wasn't enough, they got to watch a footage of him spiking your drink." He smiled ruggedly. "The whole ordeal was pretty amusing. Turns out he's a momma's boy. Without his family's wealth, he's worse than a speck of soil."

"Oh…" She was lost for words. She didn't think that it would be this simple.

"That, and I also had to pull some strings."

"What kind of strings?"

"This kind of string." He showed her one of his hands, revealing how the skin of his knuckles was cracked and bloody. "I couldn't help myself. While he was a momma's boy, he has a record of doing this to other women. Turns out his parents are aware of his misdeeds, but tried to look the other way."

"They can charge you with assault and battery, you do know that."

"I do, but they won't. With all the incriminating evidence I have – witnesses and footages – about their son's _leisure_ activities, I don't think they'll want to do that. It'll be unwise to do so, especially if they want to maintain their pristine reputation."

"I-I-I don't know what to say…." She finally said. "But thank you."

"I'm no longer in your debt. So, it works out for the both of us." He inserted his hand back into his leather glove. "But I have to give respect where it's due: that waiter was ballsy to protect you from Hanabusa. Without him, your nightmare might have become your reality."

"Ah… yeah. I was lucky he was the one who served us."

"Do you know him?"

"Hm?"

"That boy. The amount of times you guys made eyes throughout the night suggested that you have been acquainted before."

"O-Oh. He's a student of mine." Tsuande tried to answer nonchalantly.

Jiraiya smirked. "Student, huh."

"What now?"

"N-Nothing." Jiraiya walked over to her table and tipped her face up. "You're just cute when you try to remain composed." He looked down at her lips and leaned in, but was stopped when she pushed her hands against his chest. He raised a questioning brow. "Now, that's no way to treat someone who solved your problems. Just give me one kiss."

"Fuck you, you pervert." She lowly snarled. "If only I knew this would come with strings attached, I wouldn't have asked for your help."

"There will _always_ be strings attached." He replied, his nose lightly touching hers. And before his blonde friend could think of protesting, he kissed her. It started off simple, with a small peck on her lips. But he grew incessant, eventually forcing his tongue into her mouth. Her hands were quick to claw into his forearms as she squirmed. He immediately had to draw away when her teeth sank into his lips, purposely tearing his skin. "God, I really do hate you…." He growled, licking the blood from his lips.

Tsunade snapped away and slapped him across his face. She then wiped her lips with the sleeve of her shirt with an evident look of disgust. "We _don't_ have any more strings attached. So, you can leave, Jiraiya."

"You'll call me again."

She snorted. "Don't count on it."

"You'll call mewhen you're lonely. We both know that you will, because you hate being alone. You have this need of wanting to have someone next to you at night." He looked at her body appraisingly with lust. "And you'll do anything for it. That's how pathetic you are. You could never sleep alone after—"

She glared at him, silently warning him to not say anything more. "Get out of my classroom, Jiraiya. We've both done our parts. This conversation no longer has purpose. _Leave."_

"Gladly, _Princess._ " He mockingly took a bow and turned to leave. However, he stumbled backwards when he saw that a certain silver-haired boy was standing by the door, stunned. The teen eventually decided that it was best to run away from the scene.

Jiraiya looked over his shoulder and smirked at Tsunade. Even she looked shocked. "Are you sure you and that young man are platonic?"

"Get out, you sick man."

"You call me sick, but you still fuck me. I don't know who's more twisted: you or me." Satisfied with having the final say, he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Kakashi frantically bolted down the stairs. He didn't mean to see what he saw. He innocently followed Jiraiya because he recognised him as the author behind his favourite serialised series – Icha Icha Paradise. He wanted to see if it was truly him, and by God's was it him! He didn't think that tailing him would leave a dark revelation about his teacher.

He threw the magazine he had in his hand and rushed into the canteen. It wasn't a surprise that he caught many people's attention upon taking a seat in his group's table; he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

Asuma, who had his arm around Kurenai, narrowed his eyes at him. "A-Are you alright, dude?"

Kurenai also gave him a questioning look. "You look like you've ran a marathon."

Obito's face twisted as he tried to scrutinise his dishevelled state. "Did you have to run for your life?"

 _Something like that._ He wanted to say. Instead, he shook his head and forced a smile. "I-I'm fine. The line for the ramen was just too busy. We practically had to fight for it."

"And where is your ramen?" Kurenai asked.

 _Oh, shit_. He had left the queue because he saw Jiraiya. Not that he was going to tell them that. "There wasn't anything left by the time I came to the counter." He puffed his cheeks and leaned his cheek on his hand, looking dejected, but for a completely different reason that they didn't know. In their perspective, he was saddened because he didn't get his ramen, but in reality, he was just in a state of shock. He never fathomed that his teacher was in a relationship with _the_ Jiraiya! But by the looks of things, they didn't share a cordial relationship. The way she slapped him after that kissed indicated that she was repulsed. But with everything he's heard, it was evident that they shared a physical relationship.

"H-Hey, are you even listening?!" Obito snapped his fingers at his face. "We're talking to you, idiot."

"Huh?"

"We said that we need to do something about Rin. She hasn't spoken to us today, and we don't know what's wrong with her."

"I'm really worried about her," Kurenai gently spoke, leaning her head on Asuma's shoulder. "She wasn't like this yesterday. And I can't think of anything she told me yesterday that could explain her behaviour." She turned to Kakashi. "Did she tell you anything yesterday?"

 _Apart from her belligerent accusations, no._ He internally remembered. "Not that I recall, no."

"Rin was looking for you afterschool," Obito noted. "What happened after she found you?"

"She apologised. And I went home." He replied blandly, knowing well that he shouldn't be lying.

"T-That's it?" Asuma questioned. "What did she apologise for?"

Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh. He supposed he could give them some of the truth. "She thought that I liked Senju-sama, so she confronted me about it. When she realised that she was wrong, she apologised. I then walked home." That was basically what happened, but in a different order. She apologised _then_ she accused him of all sorts of things.

"W-Why would she think that you and Senju-sama were…." Asuma tried to say, but felt too uncomfortable to think of such scenario. "I know she's hot and all, but a teacher and student relationship?! That's kinda messed up, man. For her to even think that is weird."

Even Obito looked uneasy. "But why would Rin—"

The group fell silent when Rin and her new-found friendship group waltzed past their table. Kakashi was the only one who dared make eye contact with the main member of the group, Shizune. She politely smiled his way, purposely steadying her coy glance at him, and he kept it cordial by responding with his slanted smirk.

Obito pulled another face. "Since when did Rin like Shizune?"

Thankfully, the trajectory of their conversation changed its course from him.

"Doesn't she hate her? Because of, you know…." Asuma then nodded at Kakashi.

"I know," the silver-haired man grumbled. "She thought we were an item last summer."

"Were you?" Kurenai keenly asked.

Kakashi looked at her. "No. We didn't get there," he said, indicating that something _was_ attraction between them. But he faced an ultimatum, and he made his decision – he chose Rin over Shizune, despite his brewing feelings for her, and her feelings for him.

"Oh… I-I shouldn't have asked…." She whispered to Asuma, upon feeling Kakashi's mood shift.

To which Asuma sucked in his breath and murmured, "Yeahh…."

* * *

During their next swim meet, Kakashi submerged himself in his thoughts as he swam consecutive laps across their school pool. The water glided smoothly over his toned body and his vision faded. In a rhythmic manner, he drew up for breath and sank back down into the water. At the end of the stretch of water, he twirled under water and packed enough momentum in his feet to project him to his second lap.

His muscles, particularly his arms, began to ache under the intense pressure he pressed himself under. He hadn't noticed the warm ebbing ache until he raised his arm up to cut through the water ahead of him. He hissed at the sensation, but continued to push himself to his limits. The water encapsulated around him and muted the other swim members, all of their voices balled into a culmination of tumult. It was the kind of submersion he needed for a hectic day like this.

Upon reaching the other side of the pool, Kakashi pulled his eyewear down and gasped out from the water. He looked up at his time, seeing that it didn't even scratch his personal best. He pushed himself out of the water with a grunt, and decided to call it a day for now. At this rate, he needed to rest his body from vigorous exercise.

He rolled his shoulders back until he heard a satisfying click in his back. As he dried himself, he looked at the other pool that was for the girls' swim club. It wasn't a surprise that he found himself looking at a specific black-haired girl, Shizune. It looked like she was coaching the first years, since she wasn't donned in her usual black one-piece attire.

Kakashi continued to linger for another minute before he was forced to sheepishly wave at her when her classmates unsubtly screamed that he was looking at her. Much to his surprise, she waved back with gusto.

And just like that, old flames started to rekindle.

* * *

"Wait up, Kakashi!" The silver-haired teen was quick to turn off his music, so he could see if he was hearing voices. But when his name was called again, he turned around and saw Shizune trying to catch up with him. She was lugging around her P.E bag, along with a couple of folders, but she managed to reach him without any accidents.

"Hey," he greeted with a beaming smile. "How are you?"

"I managed to cure myself from my flu before Christmas, so I'd say pretty chuffed." She pressed her folders against her chest. She then craned her neck up to him. "How about you? How have you been doing as the Class Rep. while I was away?"

He chuckled. She was obviously teasing him, because she knew how he hated extra responsibility. "I did much better than you think."

"Ah…" Her nose crinkled. "I-I don't think you were as good as me, though." '

Kakashi pretended to act wounded by her playful jab. "Give me more credit. I played the part."

Shizune shrugged. "I guess…"

He chuckled again whilst shaking his head. He then took note at how much baggage she had on her. "Do you need help with your little cargo there?" he asked, already moving in to take her large P.E bag from her. She allowed him to take it from her without qualms, and he was happy to assist her. He slung it over his shoulder and continued to walk side by side with her.

They walked under the balding trees of Autumn, and walked through the golden leaves on the ground, which crunched under the sole of their shoes. Their arms shifted past each other per step they took, but neither made it obvious that they were aware of this. Instead, Shizune leaned in closer against him, half-expecting for him to back away. He didn't.

"How's Rin?" Kakashi then asked.

"She seemed fine. Why do you ask?"

"N-Nothing…"

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

"Y-You can say that."

"So, _that's_ why she's hanging out with us." She suddenly realised. "I was wondering why she was being so nice to me. On a normal day, she would ignore my existence entirely unless she _needed_ to acknowledge me. I never knew why, though."

"Rin is just shy," Kakashi lied swiftly. "But she'll gradually open up."

"I like Rin." Shizune sweetly revealed. She waited for a few seconds before she spoke again, "Do you _like_ Rin?"

Kakashi blushed lightly at her unexpected question. "N-Not in that way. She's family to me."

"Oh. I always thought you did. Since the both of you are inseparable. And because you stopped talking to me when gossip about us started to spread. I thought I misread your signal and that you actually liked Rin." She buried her face into her scarf, so she could hide her bashful blushes.

"Rin is…. special to me, but I don't love her in that way."

"I see…" Shizune whispered before she tugged at his arm. "Then, is it alright if I do this?"

"Hm?"

She wrapped her arm around his, leaning closer until their bodies didn't have any spaces from each other. Kakashi didn't say anything for a while, but later responded with a small smile of approval.

"It's more than alright."

As they came closer to the front gates of the school, he caught a glance of Tsunade walking together with their part-time Philosophy teacher, Orochimaru. Judging by her relaxed composure, he deduced that they were fast friends or that they had known each other prior to meeting again as work colleagues. They were walking in the same direction as them, but were very much absorbed in their own discussion to even notice them.

Kakashi decided that it was best for them to cross the street, and hopefully overtake them by then, so they could dodge any awkward encounters. Especially after what he had witnessed this afternoon, he didn't know how to interact with her. Sure, he could act like nothing happened, but he was never good at doing that.

As they walked on the opposite side of the street, Kakashi and Tsunade eventually shared a wordless glance with each other, and they immediately knew what the other was thinking about. Tsunade was the first one to break their eye contact as she laughed at whatever Orochimaru said. Kakashi had to be tugged by Shizune for his attention to be diverted from her.

"I-Is that Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama?" she whispered in disbelief. "I didn't know that they were close. I certainly didn't think Orochimaru-sama socialised with other teachers."

"I-I don't really know…" Kakashi tried to say.

"What's the matter? Why are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous," he quickly denied. "I'm just as baffled as you are."

"Imagine if they're a couple! That would be really weird." Shizune rambled on. "But then again, Tsunade-sama is so mysterious. She might be into guys like Orochimaru-sama."

"Yeah…." He blandly replied, having his eyes fixed on Tsunade.

 _She was an enigma that came crashing into his life._

* * *

A/N: And this is officially the end of my daily updates. XD I know because I've ran out of steam writing the end of this chapter. But I'll be back with more updates soon! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Misconstrued**

Obito cycled into school that morning, like he always did since he only lived a few blocks away, and met up with Rin at the entrance. They greeted each other like normal, and they walked over to exchange their shoes for their on-campus ones. All the while ignoring the Elephant in the room: her odd behaviour. They talked lightly for some more, but Obito picked up on her attention beginning to wane, and eventually it became painfully obvious that she was waiting for Kakashi to arrive.

As always, he was just a filler for her.

Obito closed his locker and leaned against it. "So, why have you been avoiding our group?" he asked with unfiltered annoyance. If she wasn't going to try to have her attention on him – when he's the only one in the room – then he wouldn't pretend that things were fine.

He watched as her smiley-façade transitioned into a more doleful tone. "Obito…."

"And you're _friends_ with Shizune, now?" He wanted to scoff, but his heart ached at the thought of hurting Rin. "W-What happened to you not liking her?"

Rin shut her own locker and hurried to homeroom, with the Uchiha tailing right behind her. "People change, Obito. I-I misjudged her; sh-she's actually quite nice, you know."

He forced her to turn by her shoulder. "Yeah, _I_ know, because I actually talk to her. But you – you hated her because of the possibility that her and Kakashi becoming a couple. Now Winter term comes along, and you're besties or something?" His hand lifted from her shoulder, granting her the option to leave this discussion. "I-I thought we were bestfriends, Rin."

"We are!"

"Then, why does it feel like I don't know you anymore?" He looked dejected when she remained quiet. "First, you cut ties with Kakashi and I. Second, you _accuse_ Kakashi of being affiliated with Senju-sama? W-What is happening, Rin?"

"What I said about Kakashi and Senju-sama is true!" She lowly hissed at him, immediately grabbing him by his arm so he could hunch over. "I saw them."

Obito's eyes widened. "W-What? Y-You're sure that you aren't lying?"

"I would never lie about this! But I'm telling you, I _saw_ them. When I waited for Kakashi before our class with Shimura-sama, I saw them holding hands and conversing away like they were friends or something. On that same day, after school, I saw Kakashi hug Senju-sama." She quickly revealed. Her voice was shaken, as if she still couldn't believe it after witnessing it with her own eyes.

Obito pulled away from Rin, visibly disturbed. A trickle of sweat dripped down from his temple as he tried to understand what she had told him. Is that why Kakashi has been acting differently? It would make sense to as of why he was engaged in her class. Right? Did that sound too absurd? But Kakashi likes Shizune. Or was that his way of covering up his relationship with their teacher?

All of these theories and conspiracies he had concocted in his mind was making him want to scream. But when the bell rang, Rin pulled him to her side and forced him to walk at her pace.

"I'm thinking of telling the Headmaster about this." She revealed.

"W-Wait! What if you didn't really see what you thought you saw?" Obito tried to play the Devil's Advocate, since he couldn't fathom the thought of Kakashi falling for their superior. Sure, it could be possible, especially since Senju-sama was only 7 years older than them. She wasn't super ancient to be at the point that she wasn't considered attractive. It was the contrary; she was at the peak of her beauty.

But still! The two of them… _together?_ Obito knew he joked about it with Kakashi, but he never thought it would come true. And Kakashi never gave any signs that he was attracted to her, nor did he become overly defensive about the dynamic of their relationship. If anything, he was impartial to it all.

"I know what I saw. You can't tell me that you hold hands or hug with teachers, Obito!" Her grip tightened around his wrist, but he was shell-shocked to even realise that she was preventing the blood flow of his hand.

"I-I suppose…"

Rin opened the door with so much force that it made Tsunade (who had just closed the door) jump in surprise. She looked at the duo with a paled face after she had pulled of something akin to the Matrix to dodge her coffee from staining her nude silken top.

Obito had to quickly compensate for his friend's unapologetic stare by bowing a thousand times over. "W-We're v-very sorry, Senju-sama!" he tried to say in the midst of his nerve spasming in his brain. He honestly thought he had forgotten to speak because of the tension he felt.

Tsunade seem to shrug his apology off with a simple smile. But he soon realised, upon taking his seat, that she acknowledged his apology but decided to shrug off Rin's rudeness. He internally melted. Sometimes, he forgot that teachers could be quite cool, and weren't under-the-weather-geezers who secretly lived off telling students off.

As he reached round for his backpack, he saw that Kakashi's desk was vacant of his presence. Had this been a few months ago, he wouldn't have thought much about it. But Kakashi has been on time as of late. He found that he wasn't the only one who thought that this was odd, as Asuma and Rin also had a bemused expression fixed on their faces as they looked at Kakashi's desk.

He was _late._

Tsunade also seemed to realise this, given her reluctance to start the register, but after looking at the time a couple of times, she continued with her job. When she called out his name, she gave him ample time to come crashing into her room, like he did before. With a small shake of a head, she moved on. "Rin Nohara."

"Here."

The register eventually ended, and they shifted to move to their first class, but Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

* * *

They sat together, just the two of them, in the library after second period. After pretending to study for calculus, he put his book down and glanced at her. "Kakashi hasn't come in, and he won't answer his calls. W-What do you think happened?"

Rin placed her glasses down on her book and looked back at him. "Do you think _she_ knows?"

"W-Who? Oh—" realisation hit him like a truck. "Of course not! She asked me this morning if I knew where he was. She wouldn't bother asking if she knew where he was."

She clicked her tongue. "Something's weird."

"Tell me something I don't know. Kakashi always answers his phone, even when he ditches school."

"No. With _her._ " She quickly said. "Do you think something happened with them yesterday? She looked like she expected him in there today."

Obit couldn't believe his ears right now. He knew that they were playing Detective Conan on Kakashi's possible relationship with Tsunade and all, but he couldn't believe that she was so absorbed in its theory that she couldn't see any possible options. "Obviously, Sherlock," he mockingly said. "He's a student. It would be odd if she expected him to _skip_ school!"

She buried her face in her hands in frustration. "S-She's got to know!"

"Why her?" he asked back. "Look, maybe we looked into things too much this morning. Maybe there is nothing going on with Kakashi and Senju-sama." He made sure he was extra discrete in slipping in their teacher's name, knowing that there were ears in the library. "I'm not saying that you're lying."

"I'm not."

"And I said that I _believe_ you. But, Rin, Kakashi wouldn't zone us out completely without reason." Obito chewed on the end of his pencil for a moment before he shot up from his chair. "Kakashi's dad!" He exclaimed. Honestly, he may as well have shouted it at the top of his lungs, since everyone looked at him.

"Keep it down or leave." Orochimaru, who was working at the corner, hissed sharply.

He didn't have to tell him twice, because he packed all of his things and ran out. Rin stuttered for a moment before she followed him out.

As Obito was about to commute to Kakashi's house, he stopped hot on his tracks. Right in front of him, and eventually Rin, was their silver-haired friend looking as dishevelled as ever. His eyes were red, and his lips were cracked, and his posture was as limp as grass after a downpour. He walked with his head down, but just as he was going to walk past him, Obito grabbed him by his arm and pulled him back. "Dude, what happened?"

Rin soon caught up, breathless. "Obito, why did you leave so fast-?" Her eyes travelled up to her crush and she felt her heart stop for a moment. "K-Kakashi, what happened?!"

He shook his head softly as he closed his eyes in pain. "I-I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone for today."

Obito released him and back away, immediately respecting his wishes. "S-Sure."

But Rin was stubborn. "You need to talk to us!"

"Rin!" Obito snapped, pulling her away from Kakashi so he could walk away from them. "You heard him. He doesn't want to talk."

"But we're his friends. We must support him!"

"We _are_. We're supporting him by giving him the space he wants."

Rin stopped fighting his strength and slumped against him. "You're right. I-I'm sorry…"

* * *

For the rest of the day, Obito kept his eyes peeled for Kakashi. He was quiet in class, even more so during their recesses, and kept a low profile during his track practice. Obito was in his basketball practice at that time, so he had to rely on Asuma's word.

The mystery behind Kakashi's sudden mood also derailed Rin, as she forgot her initial quest of exposing Tsunade. It may be because she thought that Kakashi wasn't emotionally sound to see the woman he's been canoodling with be blasted throughout the school.

She, too, kept tabs on what Kakashi did that day. But she never approached him.

At the end of the day, Obito rushed up to their homeroom, knowing that Kakashi would be there doing whatever Class Rep. students did. The door was already ajar, so he didn't have to pry it open like Rin did that morning; he slipped through the gap, but immediately halted when in the corner of the room Kakashi was talking to Tsunade.

He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but he was forced to hold his breath when Kakashi brushed her hair back and said something that made her place her hand on his chest. After a few more words between the two, she took both of his hands and firmly held onto them. He reciprocated by gripping her hands back. They spoke some more, with Tsunade looking more insistent and Kakashi finally relenting.

As Kakashi was about to pick up his messenger bag, Obito knew that it was best to flee. But just as he was about to make his Houdini-esque escape, he miscalculated to how much the door was actually open and ran straight into it.

The impact alone caught both of their attention, and he was forced to act like nothing happened and that he wasn't trying to eavesdrop on them at all. However, acting like everything was fine was hard to do when he felt like he had been hit by a shovel, and was now suffering from a mild concussion.

"Obito?" Kakashi called, too stunned to even put his bag over his shoulder.

The Uchiha faked a laugh. "Hi. I totally did not just see you guys there."

The disapproved look he received from the blonde made him rethink his recent life decisions.

 _Well, fuck me dead._ He immediately thought.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping forward.

"I-I wanted to check up on you. Bu-But I guess she's already comforted you. O-H… fuck. I-I mean…" Another look by the blonde was shot his way. "I-I… I-I…"

"Speak properly, Obito." Kakashi sighed.

"I know about the two of you!" He blurted. "Now, it's not in my place to tell you guys what to do. And as your bestfriend, Kakashi, I know I must support you with your life decisions. Bu-But I just wish that you guys kept this non-PG relationship outside of school. I mean, teacher-student relationships _are_ forbidden, although undoubtedly a hot fantasy – that's why I'm not blaming you for giving into it, Kakashi!"

"What—" Kakashi was hushed by Tsuande when she raised her hand up.

"Did Rin put this theory in your head?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well…" he hummed for a moment. "She thought of it first, but I guess _this_ just confirmed my doubt. Y-You guys looked so intimate, then. But don't worry, for Kakashi's sake, I'm willing to stay quiet."

Kakashi's eyebrows narrowed together. "Obito…"

Tsunade, on the other hand, blurted out a chuckle before trying to reinstate her neutral expression. "Pl-Please tell me more!" she encouraged with a gesture. "I didn't know I was in a relationship. So this new information is very fascinating for me." As per usual, she decided to strike with a sarcastic jab.

Obito had to re-assess the situation when he looked at Kakashi's puzzled face and Tsunade's amused face. "D-Did I say something weird?"

Kakashi placed his hand on his hip. " _Everything_ you said was weird. Senju-sama and I aren't like _that_."

"T-Then… what was happening?"

He sighed again, but he looked at their teacher. "C-Can I tell him?" he asked.

"I guess it can't be helped, since we need to clear up these rumours about us. I can't have some students speculating that I'm interested in high school boys. It will look really bad on me, especially." She sat on a nearby desk and gave Kakashi the green light to explain everything.

And Kakashi did, from the awkward first glances in the restaurant, to the spiking of her drink, all the way to their interaction from a few minutes ago. After he finished talking, he waited for Obito to respond but he was too embarrassed to even speak up.

"I… I don't know what to say," he finally said in disbelief. "I-I'm so sorry, Senju-sama. I didn't mean to be inappropriate."

"It's fine. You were concerned, and I understand that."

Kakashi ruffled his hair. "So, now you know."

"Why couldn't you have just told Rin this?"

"Because I didn't think Senju-sama would let me. Besides, it's not Rin's business to know." He pocketed his hands and raised another brow. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Feeling too embarrassed to look at the duo, Obito shook his head. "I-I'll just go home. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

As he hurried through the corridor, he frantically murmured _'Shit, shit, shit, shit'_ in his mind like a mantra. He had just looked stupid in front of his friend _and_ in front of their teacher. And he doesn't know how to live something like that down.

* * *

"You lied about what we were talking about just now," Tsunade said when they were alone, gazing at him.

"Not completely."

"You didn't even tell him half of the truth."

He sat himself on his desk and took a breather. "I know. Should I have told him?"

"Considering some of the things we talked about, I'm quite glad that you didn't." She tugged at his sleeve and turned him to her. "But since he's your bestfriend, I do think that you _should_ tell him. But just him."

He ruffled his hair. "I don't know if I'm comfortable enough to tell him about what we—"

"Obviously, leave some sparse details. But make sure you're honest with him about the crucial points." She hopped off the desk and fixed her hair to the side. "Besides, I thought you don't keep secrets from your bestfriend?"

He rolled his shoulders back. "Um…"

"We also need to reinstate a barrier between us. I know what happened at the restaurant took a turn in our dynamic – and I'm eternally grateful that you were there – but I can't jeopardise my job because some people have misconstrued our interactions. Believe me, the last thing I want is to be on the Child Offender's list. That's not something I've put in my Bucket List. And it's _definitely_ something I can live without."

Kakashi chuckled, appreciating her humour. "I-I understand. I wouldn't want you to be put in a predicament that you don't deserve." The lines of his smile faded as he looked at her more genuinely. "But I'm truly thankful, Senju-sama."

Her red-painted lips arched, and she nodded. "That's what teachers are here for, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Well, he certainly wouldn't tell the other teachers what he had just told her. That's for sure.

"Now, it's up to you, Kakashi, to tell Obito." She said, taking steps back from him and to her desk.

"Right. But don't hold your breath, Senju-sama." He replied.

"Trust me, with you: I _never_ hold my breath."

* * *

A/N: This chapter is shorter than most chapters, because I haphazardly wrote in on my phone while on a _long_ train ride. XD

The next chapter will be on Kakashi's POV on what happened, which will tie in the questions that rose this chapter. I'm just experimenting with writing in different perspectives, to be honest. (It's really fun because it creates chaos)


	10. Chapter 10

**Misconstrued II**

 _The day before…._

Kakashi talked to Shizune for some more that afternoon, catching up like the good old times, but they eventually had to cross to the other side of the road – where Tsunade and Orochimaru were. The moment they crossed, they nearly overlapped with the two, and they all looked at each other for a moment. It may have only been a second, but Kakashi thought that minutes went on by.

He looked at Orochimaru's lack of interest at them, then Tsunade's waning smile. Shizune bashfully looked at both teachers before squirming and holding onto Kakashi's arm even tighter. Tsunade's eyes soon dropped to their arm-linking sham going on, and smiled earnestly at them. "Don't spend too much time outside, kids." She curtly said, inevitably breaking the ice – or thickening it – Kakashi didn't know.

"W-We won't, Senju-sama." Shizune politely responded.

Orochimaru muttered something under his breath that only Tsunade understood, because she lightly elbowed him as they walked away. Kakashi pushed his hands into his coat pockets before he led the way with Shizune.

After minutes of coaxing and whines from his raven-haired companion, Kakashi submitted and allowed for her to whisk him away to her favourite coffee shop. Their conversation lengthened in the coffee shop, with Kakashi thoroughly enjoying her company and subconsciously wishing that it wouldn't end.

The sun was already setting by the time they exited the coffee shop, but Kakashi was too absorbed in their conversation to hurry on home like he usually did. They talked about everything _and_ anything to talk about, not finding the time to wallow in silence.

"To be continued," she said quietly when they arrived at the train station, unlinking her arm from his.

"I hope it can be continued soon." Kakashi smirked, handing her P.E bag back.

"Tomorrow?" She suggested. "We can walk to school together." She swayed side to side, biting her lip so coyly, as she waited for his response. Her eyes glinted in anticipation, and her cheeks were either red from the cold or were burning up with bashful blushes. Either way, Kakashi found her too adorable.

"Tomorrow it'll be." He said back, raising his second cup of coffee.

"Text me." Shizune winked, turning to head home.

Kakashi nodded and promised he would before he went down the steps of the train station.

* * *

As he commuted his way home, he got out his smartphone and leisurely browsed his social media. He curiously opened his notification tab when it lit up, seeing that Shizune had tagged him in a picture they took together in the café. Its caption box only contained of a smiley emoji and his account name.

He smiled and gave the picture a like before he saved the picture into his gallery. As he was going to tuck his phone away, another notification rolled his way but this time it was an instant message from Shizune.

 _Shizune: Hope you don't think it's weird that I posted a picture of us._

 _Kakashi: Not at all. I liked that picture anyway._

 _Shizune: I bet Asuma and Obito will raid the comments in a bit._

 _Kakashi: Let them._

 _Shizune: They're going to start teasing that we were on a date or anything. You know how they are._

Kakashi didn't know how to reply, and he was left clueless for a moment.

 _Shizune: Sorry. I didn't mean to make it awkward. But I know that it wasn't a date, don't worry. I'm not trying to drop hints or anything!_

Again, he didn't know how to respond to her message. But, after a while of playing it safe, he let his impulse take over with his typing.

 _Kakashi: Would you like to grab lunch sometime?_

Realising the gravity of his proposal, Kakashi refused to look at his phone for the rest of the ride home. Not even when he was at his front door. He even had to turn his phone off to control himself from peeking, because he knew he wasn't ready for the answer.

He pushed his key in and twisted it. "Dad, I'm home." He greeted as usual, not thinking much of the lack of response he got. He was probably resting in his room again. Honestly, Kakashi was thankful that his father wasn't venturing in the kitchen again. But he did arrive two hours later than planned today, so his father's caretaker must have left already to catch the last train.

Kakashi loosened his tie as he climbed up the stairs. "Yatsumi-san?" he called, hoping that she would still be there. But the lack of response answered his theory – she had already gone home. Sakumo must have told her that it would be alright. He looked at his watch again – it was past his father's time to take his prescription.

"Hey, dad, have you taken your medication?" He asked, twisting the doorknob and pushing it open, to reveal the dark master bedroom. He crept in, hoping that he wouldn't wake Sakumo so suddenly. Upon reaching the side of the bed, he turned the lamp on, but Sakumo was nowhere to be seen in the bed. "D-Dad?"

Before Kakashi knew it, he was already scrambling throughout the entire household screaming for Sakumo. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like it was about to break out of his ribcage, but his adrenaline seemed to keep it functioning. He was running down the stairs so fast that his legs caught each other, resulting for him to fall over the final steps.

With a thud, he didn't have enough time to feel the pain, as he bolted to the front door. As he kicked his feet into his shoes, the door was pushed open and he stumbled backwards onto the floor.

"W-What's wrong?" Sakumo asked, cocking his head slightly at Kakashi.

The silver-haired teen didn't know what to do first: scold at his father for breaking the rules, or to sob his relief out. Kakashi did neither of those things and simply embraced Sakumo as hard as he could. "T-Thank God." He whispered.

"I know I shouldn't have gone out, but I missed the environment, Kakashi. I miss living my independency. _And_ we ran out of milk, eggs, and every essential we need in the kitchen." Sakumo patted his son on his back, knowing well that his reaction was understandable and that he shouldn't have done something so rash.

"I'm sorry I forgot to buy." Kakashi whispered back, finally drying his tears. "But you've done your part now, dad. In fact, you've done _more_ than you should. So, leave the rest to me." He took the shopping bags from him and headed to the kitchen.

Sakumo removed his coat and his hat before he accompanied him. "You've been arriving late these past few days. Is school having a special event coming up?"

"Oh. No. I went to a café with a friend today."

"Which friend?" Sakumo curiously asked, sitting himself down on the kitchen chair. Although unapparent to his son, he was beginning to feel tremors in his legs. The lack of rigidity in his posture made him feel like he was about to fall at any moment. But, again, he didn't say anything.

Kakashi busied himself stacking the groceries into cabinets, purposely picking the canned foods ones first so he wouldn't face his dad's smirking face. "Oh, you wouldn't know her."

"It's a girl," interest piqued in his voice.

Kakashi paused, mid-step, and felt his blood rush up to his brain. "Ah… yeah. It's a girl from my year." He tried to act composed but the pressure of telling the truth to nosy parents proved to be too strong. He decided that avoiding eye contact would be the best tactic to overcome it.

He could feel Sakumo's grin widen behind his back, but he wasn't about to turn around to reveal that he was burning up like a tomato. No, sir. He had too much pride for that. Besides, he didn't know what is happening between him and Shizune. They could just be extra good friends who aren't romantically involved. Without anything to go on, Kakashi found it fitting to conclude that they were just great friends.

"And you're spending quite a lot of time with her, huh." Sakumo playfully raised his eyebrows to give hints. And when Kakashi saw him begin to tease, he responded with a scoff.

"H-Have you taken your medication?" He finally asked, trying to derail the conversation from his love life.

There was a slightly pause in the air. "Y-Yeah. Of course." Sakumo then replied, sipping from his water bottle. "I'm getting better. Don't you worry, Kakashi."

* * *

 _LIAR._

"Dad?!"

"Dad!"

Later that night, when Sakumo was due for his second batch of medication, Kakashi found him unresponsive on the floor, suffering a violent seizure that caused him to froth at the mouth.

"Oh, shit. Oh, shit!" Kakashi was quick to put a pillow underneath his dad's head and speed call for an ambulance. "You're going to be fine, okay? You got that, dad? Don't give up. Don't give up on me." He gripped his hand as he tried to keep his tears at bay. _"Please._ "

 _Please._

* * *

Sakumo was rushed into the hospital, and Kakashi was forced to stay in the reception. He had strength to stand on his two feet for a second, but the moment the double doors shut behind Sakumo, his strength disintegrated, and he fell onto the floor.

The entire room was spinning under his anxiety, and his breathing had become so shallow that he had started to palpitate. His heart felt like it had burst in that moment, feeling like it was cracking his ribcage in the process. He gripped at his shirt and hissed in pain, as his tears finally rolled on his cheeks.

He didn't bother to look up at the people who were undoubtedly giving him questionable – and concerned – looks. In that moment, where he was isolated, he had wanted to disappear into oblivion. It hurt to breathe, knowing that his father may be breathing his last breath. It hurt to think, because his heart would skip a beat knowing that he may be slipping away.

He can't lose his dad. No. He still had so much to say. To apologise for. To thank.

In between choked sobs, Kakashi dialled for his mom. She picked up the phone almost instantly. "Mom?" he sobbed, palming his face with his hand. "It's about dad. Please come to the hospital quickly. We're in Ward 15. Please, mom. We need you."

* * *

It was past midnight when his mother stormed into the ward, still donned in her work attire. She scanned the room until she laid eyes with her young boy who was now slouched on one of the hospital chairs. "Kakashi!" she called, rushing to his side.

Kakashi raised his head up, his eyes stinging from the tears he had shed. Upon impulse, and in desperate need of comfort, he ran to her and embraced her tightly. "Mom…." He whispered, tightening his grip around her waist. "Thank god you're here."

"Of course…." She pulled away from him and cupped both sides of his face. Her thumbs wiped his remaining tears away and she pursed her lips. "Oh, my baby." Her eyes clouded with tears and she pulled him in for another embrace, her fingers interlaced with his hair. "I came as soon as I can. How is your father?"

"Bad, mom. He's doing bad." Kakashi clasped his eyes shut and grimaced as he fought against the next wave of tears. "I-I don't want to lose dad…."

"Oh, honey…. Your father is a _fighter._ This won't take him." She steadied him on his spot before she sat him down. "How long has he been there?"

"An hour. The doctors haven't told me anything since then." Kakashi continued to hold his mother's hand, appreciating the maternal warmth and security he felt from it. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffed his tears away. "Dad's medication is no longer helping him, mom. He's become worse."

"But I thought….."

He shook his head. "Dad is not getting better, mom. You should have seen him then….. It's bad."

With that sudden announcement, he saw his mom's face shatter in front of him. The small glimmer of hope in her eyes became stone cold, and her mouth was left hanging in shock. "No…" she breathed in disbelief, gripping his hand back. "No. T-The doctor said… that the medication he's taking is ground-breaking and it can make him better."

"Mom…."

"Don't say it, Kakashi." She said suddenly. Her broken expression quickly mended itself into a strong front. "No. Your father is the strongest man I've met. He will fight this. Just believe, Kakashi."

Kakashi looked at the ground and closed his eyes, wishing he could find the strength to hold onto something he couldn't put his faith in.

During that long night, Kakashi awoke to his mother taking an abrupt phone call. Curious, he followed her to an empty corridor, where she took her call. He leaned against the wall the listened closely.

"Honey," she spoke upon accepting the call. "No. I'm going to be stuck in the hospital for a couple more hours. No. I-I don't think I can make it in tomorrow's meeting." She was beginning to pace up and down the corridor, chewing on her lip nervously. "Y-You know I can't do that. My son needs me right now. Sakumo needs me, too."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes when she gave an agitated sigh that caused her to run her hand into her fair brown hair in frustration. "Of course not! I _do_ know how important that meeting is. Don't make me choose." She snarled on the phone. "They're my family! Who cares if he's my ex? No. I'm staying here with my son for however long it will take. I-I told you to not make me choose, damn it! Why can't you pitch it on my behalf? You know it inside out." She leaned against the wall, looking defeated. "Don't you dare try and divide me from my family." She then scoffed at his reply. "How dare you!"

Kakashi's eyes widened when Sachi instinctively pushed herself off the wall as their conversation escalated. "Do it without me. N-No! I don't care! Fine. I don't care." She hung up the phone and groaned exasperatedly. "Asshole."

Before Sachi saw, Kakashi had already slipped out of the corridor. She stayed in that corridor, with her phone pressed against her chest, silently weeping by her own.

* * *

When she returned to the waiting area, she was sure to whip out her portable mirror to touch up on her appearance, ensuring that it was not obvious that she had been crying her eyes out for his father. Surprisingly enough, she was approached by her son who had bought two cups of coffee. "It'll be a long night." He said simply, offering her the other cup before following it up with a simple token of appreciation. "I'm really glad that you're here, mom."

"Always…." She smiled, taking the cup off his hand. "I'll always be here for you _and_ your father."

Kakashi's damaged heart warmed at her sincere words. "Thank you, mom. And…. I'm sorry for everything. I—"

"Don't apologise." Sachi sweetly said back, setting the cup down and taking his hands. "I hurt you and your father. I understand that. So, you don't have to apologise."

"I also um…. Heard you on the phone with your boyfriend. If you'd like, you can go, mom. Honestly, I'll be fine. I'll also update you with dad's situation." He said sincerely, seeing the pain in his mom's eyes. "I don't want you to choose, too. Your job is important to you, I know. So –"

"No. I _want_ to stay and be here when your father gets discharged. Forget about that conversation, Kakashi. I'm here now, and I'm here to stay." She reassured strongly, gripping both of his hands. "I love you, Kakashi. _You_ are more important than my job."

Kakashi – for what seemed to be the thousandth time that night – bowed his head and choked out his sobs. Emotions that have been compressed in his heart suddenly poured out, and he felt the full brunt of its effects. He loved his mother, even after her betrayal, but he made damn sure that he wouldn't show it. She betrayed them. Moved on with her life, because the one his father provided her no longer suited her lifestyle.

That's what he thought.

But in hindsight, could he blame his mother for moving on? Moving on was the only option she had after his father declared a divorce. Had he not, Kakashi was sure that his mother would have stayed with them, repenting for her sins. But they drove her away, and he hated her for it. He hated her for not being there. He hated her for staying with the man she committed the sin with.

He hated her for reasons she could not control. She couldn't be there with them because Sakumo refused her presence. She moved on with the man, because the one she swore an oath to separated himself from her. She was _forced_ to move on. She may not have wanted to, but she _had_ to. For her own sanity's sake.

Of course, he could never pardon her for her infidelity, but…..

"I-I'm sorry." Sachi quickly said, noticing that he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Maybe she came on too strong? Maybe he hasn't forgiven her yet.

As she was about to pull away, Kakashi tightened his hold on her hands and halted her. "I love you, too, mom."

Sachi looked at him endearingly and chuckled in disbelief, as she teared up. She hasn't heard him say that in a _long_ time. But now that he has, she couldn't stop her heart from pounding and her lips from arching into a smile. He may not have forgiven her fully yet, but she was willing to settle with him trying to mend fences with her.

"Kakashi –"

"Mrs. Hatake?"

Due to old habits, she turned around to the doctor inquiring her. "Y-Yes?"

"Are you his wife?" He asked, stepping closed to both the mother and son.

"E-Ex-wife…" she corrected hastily.

"He's asked for you specifically. And we would like to talk to you, too." He gestured for her to come with him.

Kakashi stepped forward to follow Sachi, but was stopped by the doctor. "I-I'm his son," he declared strongly, glaring into the older man's eyes.

"He said that he only wanted your mother to visit him for now. So, be patient."

"It's okay, Kakashi. I'm sure your father will want to talk to you later." Sachi comforted, handing him his cup of coffee. "Just wait, okay?"

"O-Okay…." He murmured.

She nodded and left with the doctor.

Minutes upon minutes soon compiled and left Kakashi too agitated to think. What was taking them so long? And why would his father want to see his mother? Unless they have mended their relationship without him knowing, it was fair to assume that he would have asked for him to come with the doctor.

He drank of his coffee, including his mother's, and began to tap his fingers on the couch. He couldn't wait any longer. They have been there for an eternity, and he was still clueless of what was going on with his father.

Just as he had made his mind up – that he was going to visit Sakumo, regardless – his mother returned to the reception area. He turned and hurried to meet her halfway. "W-What is it? How's dad?" he frantically asked.

She didn't say anything for a while, but after she wiped her tears she looked at her watch. "Let's go. You need to go school, Kakashi." She casually said, pretending as if everything was fine.

"W-What?"

"Come on. At this rate, you will be late. You still have to eat and shower. Kaka—"

He jerked his hand back from her reach. "Who cares?! Dad is in _there._ I'm not leaving him!"

"Kakashi…."

"Tell me what happened! I deserve –"

" _For once in your life, listen to me!"_ Sachi practically roared, with her nails digging into the palm of her hand.

Kakashi stood, stunned, by her tenacious persona. Seldom does he see this side of hers. He gulped and retreated to the couch where his jacket remained. "C-Can I just go to the toilet first?"

Sachi was shaking at this point, surprised by her own outrage. "S-Sure…" she whispered.

Of course, the toilets were behind those double doors. Now, he didn't know where his father was, but he did know where the MRI scans were being held.

* * *

It was only past homeroom when Sachi dropped Kakashi off school, but he headed out into town for a few more hours. He didn't want to see Obito and Rin that day, because he knew the trouble he would cause them. They worried about him too much, he felt. But he knew it was in their good intention to look over him. Even if he found it overbearing at times.

When he was ready to come to school, he made sure he came in on the first break. As usual, he faced the hurdle of running into his closest friends; seeing their worried looks made him cast his eyes down. He didn't want to see their sympathetic faces. He just wanted to be alone.

And surprisingly, Obito respected his wishes immediately. Rin, on the other hand, had to be forced to accept his wishes. She was so insistent on staying by his side at first, but she soon gave him space after Obito dealt with her.

Later that day, during lunch, Kakashi ate outside where he proceeded to collect his thoughts in peace. But his internal musings were disrupted when Shizune morphed beside him so suddenly. He flinched back and glared at her, as if she were a ghost.

"I'm glad that you're still alive. I thought that after texting you ten times last night that you were in a ditch or something." She was very passive-aggressive, he thought.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"I also tried to wait for you at the station."

"Shizu—"

"What you did was a dick move, Kakashi." She snapped. "I mean, a simple text message would have been enough. You shouldn't lead a girl like that, it's –"

"My dad was hospitalised last night." He revealed, feeling that he didn't have a choice.

Shizune's face transitioned to something softer and more sympathetic in a second, and she was left looking like the bad guy. "Oh…" she barely said. "I um…." She fumbled with her words as she tried to approach him.

"Don't." Kakashi brushed her hand off, immediately packing up his lunch. "Just… it's okay. I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, trust me."

"N-No. Don't worry about it! Seriously. I-I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I—" Shizune, again, extended her hand out to him, but he narrowly evaded it when he stood back up.

"You didn't know. It's fine." He firmly said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I-I've got to go." He hastily left her without looking back, knowing that if he did, he would see how dejected he left her.

* * *

At the end of the day, when education didn't have him by the throat, he rushed up to the science department where his homeroom was. He peeked in Tsunade's classroom, but found it to be vacant. However, a series of footsteps made him turn. There she was, but she was with another teacher – the Home Economics teacher.

"Senju-sama," he approached them, leaving his bashful persona behind. "I'd like to talk to you."

Both female teachers glanced at each other before she opened the classroom door for him. "We'll talk here." She said, waving for him to go in first.

Before she could even say anything witty, he dragged her to the other end of the classroom, where they would not be in sight through the door. She staggered behind him, barely able to keep herself from tripping on her heels.

Finally, when they were at his desk, he unloaded his bag and pulled out a scan of a brain – his father's MRI scan. "C-Can you tell me what this says?" he asked. "I mean, you studied Medicine, right? Did you receive any training in interpreting MRI scans?"

"W-What?"

"M-My father was hospitalised last night, and the doctors are refusing to tell me what is going on. I-I printed out his scan –"

"Kakashi!"

"I had to!" He reasoned. "I needed to know what was going on. _Please._ If you can, please analyse this."

She took the scan from him. "A-Alright…."

Kakashi sat on the edge of his desk as Tsunade leaned against the adjacent one. She scrutinised the scan for a couple of minutes, biting her nail as she did so, and her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"W-What is it?" Kakashi implored.

"By the looks of it, your father has multiple sclerosis."

"Y-Yeah, that's been established. But what _else_ does this scan say?"

She placed the paper on his desk and pointed at it. "Do you see the white spots in the scan? Well, those spots indicate multiple hypointense lesions in the corpus callosum." She dragged her finger onto other spots of the brain. "And these black holes, here – they're plaques. They are areas of permanent damage. This is the classic case of a patient with an MS." She took a breather, settling him in, knowing that by the look on his face he needed it.

He turned the page over to her, revealing another scan. "And this?"

"This demonstrates periventricular high-signal intensity lesions, which exhibit a typical distribution for multiple sclerosis."

"W-What does this all mean?"

Tsunade hushed him down as she continued to analyse the scans, flipping back and forth between the two. "These…" she indicated at the highly active lesions. "I-I've never seen anything like this before. It's unlike the common form of multiple sclerosis."

"T-There are variants?"

"Yes. There's the relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, in which progression involves symptoms of neurologic dysfunction frequently followed by partial or complete clinical recovery." She looked at her young companion who was processing her technical language, and she carried on. "And then there's the Marburg variant or malignant MS – a _rare_ case of multiple sclerosis. It's an acute form of it and it involves the continual progression of the demyelination process."

"Right…"

She showed him the pages again. "Normally, the distribution of the lesions is indistinguishable from the classic multiple sclerosis, but unlike the classic case, they occur simultaneously in all affected areas. The lesions you can observe here also appear more destructive." Her finger ringed around the inflamed areas of the brain.

"S-So my father….?"

"Is, if my interpretation is correct, diagnosed with a deadlier form of multiple sclerosis."

"I-Is this it for him?"

"Unfortunately for you, Kakashi, that's where my knowledge ends. I cannot confidently say how deadly this disease is, especially since this is a rare case. There aren't a lot of records about this variant. You'll have to talk to your father's doctor."

"Right…" He was visibly disappointed as he pushed the prints back into his bag. "Thanks anyways, Senju-sama."

Tsunade placed her hand over his to offer some comfort. She couldn't help but notice how red his eyes were, and how puffy they looked; he looked as if he had just been punched. And while she wasn't one for emotional antics, she couldn't help but show concern for him. "Have some hope, Kakashi." She managed to produce a small smile for his sake.

He nodded appreciatively, slipping his hand from hers. "I'll try…."

"Good."

"H-How is the whole Hanabusa thing going, anyways?"

Tsunade folded her arms and rubbed the back of her neck, looking away uncomfortably. "I-It's been dealt with."

"Is that why Ji-Jiraiya-sama was here yesterday?"

Her eyes widened. "Y-You know him?!"

Kakashi's cheeks reddened considerably, realising that he had pitted himself to a corner. "Um… yeah… he writes books. He's a successful author. I recognised him by face."

She raised her brow. "You read his books, don't you." Not a question.

His bashful blush deepened when he met her accusing glare. "I-I mean… I read them every now and then. I-It's not like I'm an avid fan o-or anything." _Or that I want to meet him in person._ It hurt lying about his love for his author. But he couldn't confess about liking his content, knowing how risqué and controversial it is. To his teacher, no less."

"Is that why you followed him to my classroom yesterday?" She asked, overlooking his stammers and obvious redness.

"Y-Yes… I-I wanted an autograph from this week's issue." He confessed. "I-I didn't mean to see you guys… yanno…." _Kiss._

"I see…"

"It's weird knowing that you guys are a cou—"

"We're not." She was quick and sharp to decline, eyes hardening into something akin to hate. "W-We're not like that."

"But you guys kissed…." He blurted out without thinking, immediately wanting to kick himself.

"If you were there to see that, I'm guessing that you were there when I slapped him." She locked her strand of her hair behind her ear and huffed. "Anyways, don't get any ideas. We're not a ' _couple'_." She cringed at the thought of it. Her with a lecherous man like him? Knowing Jiraiya, he would only act faithful when he's with her, but would fuck several other women on the side. Even when they were teens, he was a promiscuous fiend who pursued her and countless other women. For that man, it didn't matter where he put his dick in so long as he could get off.

"I-I apologise," he said genuinely.

"Do-Don't worry about it." She gazed up at him and saw his eyes fixated on her. "W-What?"

He pushed her hair back to reveal the lovebites Jiraiya gave her that night. "D-Did he do this?" he asked, mistaking them for bruises. "Did he put his hands on you, Senju-sama?" He became intense with worry for his teacher, immediately dreading for the worst case scenario. "Did he do anything without your—"

Tsunade placed her hand squarely on his chest, to gain distance from him and to stop his wild imaginations. "Stop right there, Sherlock. No. He did not."

"But those are bruises…." He hissed.

"No, Kakashi, they're not…."

"Then what are they—" His stopped midsentence and he looked dumbfounded for a moment. He looked away then back at her with narrowed eyes. _Wait._ If they're not bruises, then they're…. He could have gasped, but his voice squeaked instead.

"Let's not go in that kind of territory," she added. "Just _leave_ it."

"But if you're not amicable with him… why are you….?"

Tsunade took both of his hands this time and squeezed them. "Kakashi, don't worry about me. I promise you, everything is _fine_. I'm not enslaved by Jiraiya or any of the sort. So, before you concoct these wild fantasies, I want you to know that I what do outside of my job is in my interest."

He gripped her hands back, nodding, as his thumbs brushed on the back of her hand. "I-I understand. But if that guy from the restaurant ever does anything, Senju-sama…. Let me know."

"He won't." She insisted, wishing that she was right. "But thank you."

"A-Alright…." He forfeited and released his clasp around her hands. "I-I've got to go." Just as he was about to seal his bag, a distinct _clang_ of metal was heard followed by a disgruntled groan.

At first, he thought that it was Rin. By now, he wouldn't put it past her to invade his privacy. But it turned out to be Obito. Naturally, his knucklehead of a friend accused him of the same things that Rin did. And so, with Tsunade's permission, he explained everything that transpired between the two of them, purposely leaving out other information – his father's condition, and his misinterpretation of Tsunade and Jiraiya's relationship.

After seeing how fast Obito fled from the scene, Kakashi soon decided to head home. The only person who remained in the classroom was Tsunade, who clawed her fingers through her hair. She contemplated for a moment, immediately clicking her tongue at the recollection of lying to Kakashi's face.

While she confessed of having limited knowledge about his father's form of multiple sclerosis, she actually had studied that rare variant of the disease during her undergrad years. And she knew exactly what that Marburg variant would entail for his father. But she couldn't stomach to tell him the truth, seeing how broken he already was.

She leaned back on her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled. The ebbing feeling of her guilt lingered in her consciousness for the rest of the night.

Should she have told him the probable outcome?

That his father probably only had a year to live.

* * *

Kakashi came home to a vacant home that night. It felt so lonely that his key dropping onto the bowl beside their front door filled the void. His eyes scanned the staircase and the door of the kitchen; a part of him hoped to see his mother pop her head out from the kitchen, scolding him for missing his curfew, as his father came down the stairs after just changing from his work suit.

But the reality was that he was now alone in this house – his father was in the hospital and his mother was in the apartment she shared with her lover.

He peeled his shoes off his feet before climbing up the stairs. He decided to venture into his father's room to clean it. After all, he needed to do something to get his mind off things, especially since Tsunade's revelation of the scans gnawed at his mind. What if his father had that malignant form? Surely that would be lethal.

As he moved to clean out his beddings and replace it with fresh sheets, he unexpectedly came across a plastic bag that was stashed underneath Sakumo's mattress.

He pulled it from underneath, inspecting the crushed fragments of what was hidden there. Upon seconds of pondering of what they could possibly be, his breath caught, and he realised what they were. His eyes tightened in bitterness and he sat himself down on the bed. "This can't be…." He growled, throwing the bag across the room. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Sakumo was not taking his medication.

* * *

 _The next day…._

Kakashi surprised everyone when he attended school, albeit he was late for homeroom again. In mid-register, he unapologetically entered the classroom and brushed past Tsunade who struggled to find her words. Something felt different about him. _Colder._ He sat himself down on his seat and fixated his gaze to the front of the class, but his attention remained elsewhere. The emptiness in his eyes perturbed Tsunade; did he find out about the truth of his father's diagnosis?

She couldn't help but ponder, forgetting that she was meant to finish the register until Shizune hesitantly asked if she was alright. Tsunade snapped out of her inner thoughts and repositioned herself on the desk, clearing her throat and continuing where she left off.

Since she had them for the next period, when the bell rang her students remained seated on their desks, waiting for her lesson. After she scanned through her teacher's notes, she looked up at the class and fixed her faux-smile. "Alright. We're going to start where we left off from the previous lesson." Her eyes locked onto Kakashi, seeing his impartial attitude, for a moment before she forced herself to look back at the larger class. "Let's begin."

* * *

"What's gotten to you, Tsunade?" Orochimaru asked her that break, quietly sipping his coffee.

She haggardly looked at him and mumbled her response, all the while aimlessly stirring her teaspoon around her coffee.

"Pardon me, but you're incoherent."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you ever get attached to one student?"

His chuckle was eerie to say the least, but the way his eyes creased in amused delight was even creepier. "Has Tsunade-sensei grown a heart?" He wriggled his eyebrows in a taunting manner at her as he took a long sip of his beverage. "I can't say any student has compelled me to care. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know of Kakashi Hatake?"

"I do."

"Then you know about his situation."

"I'm murky on details, but I heard that it's a tragic tale."

"The Headmaster told me to ensure that his performance is consistent this year. That means that I must give him majority of my attention. And I have been doing just that. But…. I think I have been too invested in him." She confessed.

"Hm." Orochimaru blandly said, but the way his pale face paled further indicated his shock.

"Say something."

"I didn't know young men were your preference."

Blood was quick to rush up her face. "What the hell, you idiot!" she vehemently exclaimed after spluttering her coffee mid-air. Honestly, she took the wrong timing to drink. She should have known that he would say weird shit like that.

"What?" He asked back, blinking at her. "Is that not what you wanted to confess?"

"No!"

"Ah. Then I completely missed your point."

"You don't say…." She crossed her arms and huffed. "And I thought you were smart."

He smirked at her, eyes glinting with mischief. "Do I need to remind you, _old friend,_ that I helped you cheat in your final exams because you were too preoccupied with your sickening highschool romance?"

Her cheeks reddened. "I knew you were going to say that," she snarled.

He chuckled. "Don't think I'll ever live that down. It took a lot of skill on my part to make sure we would be seated on the same row."

"And I'm grateful." She mumbled. "But I could have passed without your help."

"But you wouldn't have made it into Med School with me." He made a good point. Her results wouldn't have been high enough to make the prerequisite qualities of a doctor. "We've come a long way, Tsunade."

"And look at us now - we're teachers."

"I'm just trying to earn enough money to finish my specialisation, but you…." He paused as he saw her eyes narrow in pain. "You have left your pursuit of becoming a doctor and disappeared for a year before remerging as a teacher. Do you even have any intention of becoming a full-fledged doctor?"

Tsunade averted her gaze from him, pursing her lips for a moment. "I'm thinking about it..."

Orochimaru placed his cup down and stared at her intently, his serpentine eyes scrutinising every inch of her body, especially her elusive facial expression. "Don't run away. Alright? And don't hide behind this teacher façade, Tsunade. You're meant to be a _doctor._ Not this."

"Being a teacher is not bad."

"But it's not _you_. I know that Dan would say the same."

Tsunade stopped midway of her action, her cup just a few inches from her mouth, and she felt her lips tremble at the mention of his name. She placed her cup back down and covered her mouth in sudden lamentation, immediately squeezing her eyes shut as she subconsciously replayed his name in her mind over and over again. It had been so long since she had heard his name, but it still hurt like a fresh wound.

Unexpectedly, she felt Orochimaru's warm hand on her head. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gradually pulling her in for an embrace, with her face burying into his stomach. She did not cry in his arms – never has – but he felt her vulnerability to be compelled to reach out to her. "You know it's the truth."

"Idiot," she spat, still clinging onto him.

"I know," he responded, cradling her in his arms.

"H-How did we get to this mess from talking about my student?" She then mused, trying to gain her composure back, as she released herself from his comfort.

Orochimaru placed his hands on his hips. "Well, you called me stupid."

She chuckled, swatting her incoming tears. "Oh, yeah."

"So, what were you going to tell me?"

"Kakashi –"

The bell rang.

Tsunade grumbled as she pushed herself up on her feet. "I swear breaks are getting shorter every day."

Orochimaru collected his books and his blazer. "Let's continue this during lunch."

"Sure."

* * *

They separated ways as she headed upstairs to the science department. As she walked through the corridor, she saw the two students she had enough seeing that week – Obito and Rin. As usual, the girl had a fiery persona that she used relentlessly on the boy who had a hopeless crush on her. They seemed to have met an impasse, with the girl hurrying to one end of the corridor, and the boy pulling her back.

Their conversation was inaudible from where she was, but as she got closer she began to pick up on little details. Something about Kakashi was said (figures, that girl's world revolved around him), and then something about her was thrown in. She raised her eyebrow at this.

"Rin! I told you that nothing is happening between them! Kakashi even told me!" Obito growled.

"And that's _after_ you caught them. Obviously, they would lie!" She wrung her arm from him and headed the other way – to the Headmaster's room.

"Rin!" Obito shouted, running after her as he jostled past incoming students. Again, he grabbed her and dragged her backwards. "Kakashi is going through enough! J-Just stop this witch hunt! Y-You've seen how pissed he was this morning. Do you think _this_ will help with his mood?"

Tsunade squared her shoulders, deciding that she had enough of this bitchiness. Had this been a normal day, where she wasn't pissed off herself, she would have allowed for this behaviour from a bratty teen to pass. But since she was not in a forgiving mood, she wasn't going to let this speculation intensify.

She trudged towards them, with the students parting in the corridor for her like the Red Sea. "Rin Nohara," she sternly addressed, watching the Uchiha's face pale at her presence. The brown-haired girl even looked like she broke a sweat. "I'd like to see you in my classroom. _Now."_

Obito gulped. "W-We have a class, Sen-Senju-sama."

"Then _you_ should hurry, Obito-san." She turned to him, voice dripping with venom. "But I'm going to speak with Rin-san, here."

"C-Can't we s-speak out here, Senju-sama?" Rin asked sweetly, trying to act innocent. The last thing she wants is to be in a confined space with a woman she has undoubtedly pissed off.

"I don't think _you'll_ want that, Rin-san." She glared. "Now, come."

Obito watched as Rin hesitantly followed the blonde into her classroom. "Well, shit…" he breathed in disbelief. He didn't know what to do. Well, there was nothing he could do apart from hope that Tsunade had the heart to not eat Rin alive.

"What are you doing standing here? And where's Rin?" Kakashi asked, walking up to Obito from behind. It was the first time he had spoken to him since yesterday. "You're going to be late for class."

Obito turned his head up to the silver-haired teen, pointing to their homeroom classroom. "S-Senju-sama summoned Rin to her classroom, man."

The look of surprise on Kakashi's face couldn't be hidden. "What?" he gasped. "What for?"

* * *

Tsunade slammed the door close behind them and leaned against it. "So, Rin-san….."

"C-Can we make this quick, Senju-sama? I have a class with –" Immediately, she made eyes with her molten hazel eyes, and she froze. By the looks of it, Tsunade was _livid_ and in a very dangerous mood.

"Your class will be the least of your worry, alright?"

Rin found herself nod instinctively, knowing she had to show total obedience to survive this encounter.

Her deathly smile faded. "It's time we had a chat, Rin-san."

* * *

A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Woo! Here's the longest chapter thus far to start off 2018


	11. Chapter 11

**Lost**

Rin knew that lying wasn't an option at that moment in time; Tsunade was right in front of her, with her signature faux-smile that she could easily see through. But the sharpness of the older woman's expression was deadly, and it spoke a thousand words without her actually saying them out loud.

 _This_ was what having power meant. Rin finally understood that now. And she finally understood that she had no power on the likes of Kakashi. She demanded for his attention. While Tsunade wouldn't need to exhaust her energy for that, because she would compel others to give their attention to her.

That was the difference between the two of them. Rin saw that now.

"I'm not going to talk to you as a teacher, Rin." Tsunade finally spoke, leaning off from the door. Her hand glided on the desks as she walked closer to her, eyes fixed on her. "But I'm going to talk to you as a _person._ And you're going to listen. Is that clear?" She stopped just a meter from her, but her overwhelming presence made up that distance as Rin felt like she was held by the throat. Her voice was eerily calm for the teen's liking, too.

Rin took a calculative step back before nodding obediently again.

"Good." Her smile waned. "Now, normally I wouldn't entertain rumours – no matter how out of this world they are. But I can't overlook those that are detrimental to my livelihood. You do know that if you presented these claims to the Headmaster that you would, essentially, destroy my life?" She scoffed, pushing her bangs back. "Of course, you did. You're not stupid, Rin. I can see that. You had every intention to bring my reputation down…."

"Senju-sama—"

"You will speak when I tell you _can_." Her voice snapped as sharp as a samurai's sword, smoothly cutting her sentence from completion.

Rin's voice squeaked, and she fell silent again.

Tsunade took her increased rigidness as her cue to carry on, casually pacing in the front of the class. "I would understand if you thought that I was _forcing_ Kakashi – your fellow classmate – into things he didn't want. Had that been the scenario, then I would have sympathised with your perception – you're just someone who's looking after your friend.

"But that's not the case now, is it? Not once have I forced Kakashi into _anything_ that could suggest that I have been misusing my position of power over my students." Her lips thinned, and her nails dug into her bicep. "You were just insecure about Kakashi being with another woman who wasn't you. It didn't have to be me, per say. It could have been another student." A slight pause. "Tell me, are you truly _friends_ with Kakashi?"

Rin tensed at this question, unsure whether that permitted her to speak.

"Go on," Tsunade prompted.

"Of course, I am…." Her voice was so small that it sounded like she was questioning herself. Wait, _was_ she questioning herself? How did she have a lapse in judgement for a moment? Could it be because of Tsunade's dominating presence or…?

"Really?" Tsunade raised a brow. "Because the only time I have seen you _'friends'_ with Kakashi is when things were going your way. But the very moment Kakashi refused to confide in you about what was transpiring between us – as wrong as that sounds – you withdrew from your friendship group. You didn't like it when you felt like he didn't choose your side.

"Friends do not do that, Rin. Friends _understand,_ not assume. Nor do they use emotional warfare against those they _care_ about."

Rin retorted back.

"Teachers hear gossip, too. We can't help it." She shrugged. "You wouldn't have known anything about why Kakashi and Shizune broke apart so suddenly last school year, would you? I, personally, wouldn't know since I'm new here. But I can hazard a guess as to _who_ broke them apart." Her hazel eyes were akin to something more molten now, scrutinising every inch of the girl so appraisingly. "Friends do not do that, Rin. Sociopaths do. But I'd like to give you that benefit of the doubt."

Tsunade finally gestured at the girl. "I'm sure you're dying to say something back. So, go ahead."

Rin stood there, shaking with anger of being emotionally stripped by the blonde. Her fingers burrowed under the skin of her palms until a slither of blood came through, so she could compose herself. _Breathe, Rin…_ she internally reminded. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug face off the blonde's face. Look at her now, so full of confidence in herself.

"Well?" Tsunade asked. "Do you have anything to say? Or to ask?"

"You don't know anything about me…" she whispered.

"I know character. You're this sweet girl-next-door type of woman. On the surface that is. But you're cold underneath that. Kakashi, on the other hand, is the opposite. He's cold at first, but after you get to the bottom you that, he's the warmest person. He genuinely _cares_ about people other than himself. But you…" she shook her head. "You're selfish; driven by your own concern and desire."

"And how would you know this about Kakashi if you're not _close_ with him?"

Tsunade sighed before she rolled her eyes. "When will you stop with this delusion? Obito has told you the truth. It wasn't a lie. Despite what people say, teachers do date on their spare time. And I so happened to be set up in a dangerous one. Kakashi saved me from that. But it wasn't over. So, he offered to help in whatever way he could. _That_ is the only reason why we have interacted more recently."

Rin looked untouched by her words. She obviously still doubted her. "A-And you're telling me that Kakashi didn't look at you _that_ way?"

"Why the hell would he do that?"

"Because!" Rin groaned. "Don't you see how much attention you get in this school?! Every boy likes you! Do you really think they're excited for biology?! Who's delusional now?" She bit back. Though her bite didn't faze the older woman. "And Kakashi is no different!" She lowered her voice and reserved herself again. "You guys interacted in a more personal level. He'll obviously –"

"Rin…"

"Kakashi always likes other girls! But he never likes someone like me! How will this be any different? Isn't this the age when boys dream to have older girlfriends with more experience?" She rhetorically asked, burning up in the adrenaline that was catalysing her venting. "And you're _letting_ him touch you. I _saw_ what I saw. It may not have been in that context – and you can deny this all you'd like – but you can't deny the physical chemistry between you two in the parking lot. You _let_ him touch you because you felt physically connected with him."

Tsunade looked at her sympathetically. Rin was insecure and emotionally unstable with herself and her thoughts. Something told Tsuande that Kakashi was once her anchor, but was now no longer emotionally available to provide that kind of support. Now that he was gone, the thought of him constantly eclipses her mind. And that has been driving her mad. Mad enough to create these concoctions.

"If this will make you feel better, I do not have any feelings towards Kakashi in any form. That guarantees that _nothing_ will happen between us." Tsunade reassured. "But _you_ have to accept Kakashi's feelings, Rin. No matter what they are. If he's interested in other people, _let_ him. You say that you're his friend; prove it by letting him be _happy._ "

Rin, for the first time, locked eyes with her. "I…"

"Just reflect on what I've told you, Rin." Tsunade stepped up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Hurting others will not benefit you. You're an impressionable girl who's hopelessly in love. I get it. I've been there. But _this_ is not the way to go. You will only lose Kakashi." Rin's breath hitched at this possible reality. "So, talk to him. Tell him everything."

Rin gazed up at the woman and swallowed her pride, nodding understandably. "I-I'll try."

"Good." Tsunade smiled, sweetly this time. "Lecture's over. You can go to your class."

The teen turned to leave but hesitated, looking back at the blonde. "S-Senju-sama…" she started.

"Hm?"

"A-Are you going to tell Kakashi this?"

Tsunade looked at her for a moment before she looked away. "Are you going to drop this witch hunt against me?"

"I-I'll try."

"Then I'll try to keep my lips sealed."

"Thanks." She murmured, hurrying out of the room.

Tsunade turned back around when her classroom door was shut. She didn't even think of apologising. Like always, she only cared about what revolved around Kakashi – and what might affect her chances with him. She huffed and combed through her golden hair, exhausted by the teen drama she was inadvertently reeled into.

* * *

Rin entered their history class, with none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, and she sheepishly looked around the classroom before she took her seat. Obito, who was sat on her right, leaned towards her and slipped a note onto her desk when Hiruzen turned his back to them.

She opened it, and it read _Are you okay?_ She looked back at the black-haired boy who was looking at her almost longing by then, nodding with her signature smile. Glad that she made it alive, Obito responded with his lopsided grin.

She turned to her left, where Kakashi was sat, but he didn't even bat an eyelash at her. She knew that he knew she was there, but he didn't even acknowledge her. Perhaps Obito told him, Rin thought. Knowing Kakashi, he would only remain upset with her if she didn't apologise. So, she'll just have to apologise during lunch time.

 _Right?_

And that's what she tried to do during lunch. "Kakashi!" she chased after him down the stairs and tugged at the sleeve of his blazer. "C-Can we talk?"

He turned to her, exasperated. "So, you can accuse me some more? I'm good, Rin."

"No! We just n-need to talk."

"What you tried to do to Senju-sama wasn't cool, Rin." His eyebrows knitted together. "You were thinking of going to the Headmaster's office?" He snorted, shoving his arm away from her grip. "God. If you were my friend, you would have _believed_ me. But you decided to drag _her_ in this."

"Kakashi!"

"I'm done, Rin." He said, having his hands up as a sign of defeat before he turned his back at her.

Her shoulders slumped down in defeat and she looked down at her feet in shame. The damage she caused seemed irreparable; Kakashi has never been angry with her. To see him indignantly refuse to talk to her was certainly a surprise, since that was not in his character. Kakashi was _sweet._ But all she saw was bitterness.

"He'll calm down," Obito comforted, resting his arm over her. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

"I've done something terrible, Obito…"

"Nah. You were just looking out for him, right?" He smiled. "Kakashi right now is… not Kakashi. He's been irritated since this morning. You aren't to blame for that. So, just wait for him to come to you."

"A-Are you sure?" She craned her neck up at him, longingly looking into his eyes for confirmation and support. As per usual, he gave her his cheeky grin, and she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Obito."

The day ended with Kakashi ditching their biology class that afternoon, much to everyone's surprise – including Tsunade's. He didn't tell anyone about leaving school early, which was odd, because he would normally confide in someone about skipping class. Instead, Kakashi disappeared without a trace and without notice.

Judging by Tsunade's bemused look, Rin knew that she was also unaware of what was happening with Kakashi. Nevertheless, she continued with her class without fail.

Rin propped her chin on the palm of her hand and continued to linger out to their window. She just hoped that he was okay.

* * *

Mid-way through class, when Tsunade had successfully preoccupied her students with class objectives, she slid out of the classroom to pay the headmaster a visit. She entered the older man's vicinity and waited for him to acknowledge her.

"Ah. Tsunade-sensei." Hiruzen puffed out thick smoke from his cigar and placed his work paper down. "Has Kakashi turned up to class yet?"

Tsunade gave a negative.

Hiruzen played with his goatee for a moment, humming as he collected his thoughts. "This is certainly odd behaviour – even for Kakashi's standard." He mused, fingers stilled interlaced in his goatee. Greyed eyes darted at the woman. "Have you noticed any _strange_ behaviours from him before all this?"

"I can't say I've known Kakashi long enough to know what would constituent to _odd_ behaviour from him." Tsunade answered. That said, his cold persona during homeroom was almost chilling to see. He looked distant that morning and more detached than before. If that was an indication to how he was handling his father's deteriorating health, then she felt she had the duty to help him stay on the right tracks. "But…. Kakashi's father has been hospitalised as of recently."

Hiruzen placed his cigar down. "Hm…"

She expected a better response from the older man, but his lacklustre attitude indicated that he didn't wholeheartedly care for _Kakashi's_ well-being. If anything, he was more concerned about the _prodigy_ in Kakashi, because he knew that Kakashi was the perfect representative of their school. If other schools knew about his lapsing behaviour, then a mockery may be made of the school for over-hyping a student.

Hiruzen just wanted to preserve the reputation of the school, even though it has been nothing special as of late. Then again, if Kakashi were to gain national coverage because of his outstanding academic performance, the school will gain more traction from parents who would enrol their children to his highschool. The influx of students would then lead to greater funds from the government.

Everything came down to money.

"I think we need to give Kakashi some leniency," Tsunade suggested, gaining a judgemental eyebrow from the man. "In all due respect, Hiruzen-sama, he needs space from education in the midst of his personal chaos. Look – he's even skipping school today! He will keep doing that. Instead of fighting his needs, we need to _respect_ them. Give me a few days off. He needs it."

Hiruzen swivelled his chair before he rose from his seat. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced in his office, mentally calculating the possible risks of the Golden Boy of their school missing days of education. Surely it would be alright to grant him temporary easement. "And you think this will benefit him?"

"One hundred percent."

"He'll miss a lot of lessons, Tsunade-sensei. Do you think the boy will be able to handle the stress of catching up to a mountain-load of information?" He inhaled the poison of the cigar again. "We _can't_ have him drop from his grade boundaries again. He needs to maintain his current performance."

"I-I'll collect all of the resources from his classes in the days he's off. I'll make sure that he gets them by the end of the week, so he can catch up bit by bit."

"Are you sure this won't be too much responsibility for you?"

She crossed her arms and shrugged. "It's my job." Besides, she owed him one. And she didn't like the thought of being in debt with her student. This could be a way to even things out between them.

He put out his cigar – thankfully – and folded his arms. "I don't want you to get _too_ attached, Tsunade-sensei. Besides, we can't show leniency and favouritism to certain students. That's not what we need right now."

"We are not showing _leniency_ on, Kakashi. We are showing _care_ in his well-being." Tsunade argued back. "Forcing him to attend school is detrimental to his academic performance. Do you think he'll focus on the work in front of him when his father is in hospital?"

Hiruzen's grey eyes hardened on her, assessing her fervour with mild curiosity. "If you're that passionate about this, then, I guess, I can't say no." He sat himself behind his desk and reached into his bottom compartment for a new batch of cigars. "But you'll be in charge of this situation, alright?"

"Absolutely."

"You may go now, Tsunade-sensei. Thank you." He gestured for her leave as he worked to light the new cigar in between his lips.

She bowed slightly and hastily exited the room that was stained with nicotine.

* * *

When the day has ended for her professional life, she packed up all of the papers she needed to mark that night and quickly exited from the school building. Since Orochimaru was only half-day that day, she was left to walk by herself. She didn't mind walking in the chill of the night, since the city was lit up by the bright fluorescent lights of shops and bill-boards.

She paced herself home, with an umbrella in her hand, as crystals of water splashed onto the concrete floor, creating a reflection effect with the fluorescent lights. The myriad of neon colours bounced through the puddles and illuminated the ground. Honestly, during a night like this, Tsunade found it therapeutic to walk alone.

As she pre-occupied herself with texting her girlfriends, she caught a red car slow down in her peripheral. She gazed up to see none other the white-haired gallant – Jiraiya – grinning in his car. "You're too beautiful to be spoilt by the rain, Princess." He said charmingly, immediately scanning her outfit with delight. "Come. I'll drop you off at your apartment complex."

She snorted. "I'm good."

"Come on!" He groaned, parking his car along the pavement she walked on since the cars behind him had become impatient. "Don't you trust me?"

"After what you did? Of course, I don't trust you."

Jiraiya scurried out of his car and matched her strides with ease. "And what is it that I did?"

"You _kissed_ me, bastard."

He frowned. "I honestly don't understand you, Princess. You allow me to mess up your pussy, but you won't allow me to kiss your lips – or do _anything_ with your lips."

"Be more discrete when you say things like that, you moron!" she hissed, slapping him on the arm, after gaining a questionable look from several passers-by.

"What?" He shrugged. "I kinda want people to know that I'm good enough to be sleeping with a hottie like you."

"Just go away, Jiraiya." She growled. "I'm not in the mood to be entertaining you and your perverted fantasies."

"Alright. I'm sorry." He said in a genuine tone. Had his devious facial expression not betrayed him, Tsunade would have accepted his apology. But within a second, he chuckled. "But seriously, why won't you let people kiss you on your lips?"

"We've talked about this, Jiraiya." She was beginning to become exasperated.

"Yes, but I thought you were lying about that reason."

She stopped. "Of course not!"

"Seriously?" He pulled a face of disbelief. "Jeez, Princess. I hate to break it to you, but you've got your standards the wrong way around. Proving that you're still in love with someone means you keep your legs closed, not your mouth shut." His lips curved as he brushed his fingertips on her chin. "But I guess it works well for me." The pad of his thumb pressed against her bottom lip. "I would _pay_ to see this mouth in action, Tsunade."

She snatched his arm and yanked it down – _hard._ Her eyes steeled. "If you're going to keep acting like this perverted degenerate who only thinks of humping anyone you see, I'll –"

"You'll what?" he provoked. "Stop sleeping with me?"

"I've made it clear that we're done, Jira. That night was the end of it." She turned to leave, but staggered back when his calloused hand grabbed her by her shoulder. "Let go of me, Jiraiya."

For the first time in a long time, the gallant's face was stern. "You can't deny me forever, you know that. I was the one who was there for you when you needed it the most. I _know_ you better than anyone, Tsunade." He paused as he briefly contemplated about what he was going to say. Knowing it would be a sharp stab into her heart, he used it in his arsenal. "Not even Dan –"

She gave him a side glare before he could finish his sentence. "Don't think I slept with you because I had _feelings_ for you."

She watched him swallow hard, and hoped that he was swallowing his inflated pride. "Lies. You looked at me differently during those nights."

She guffawed. "I wasn't _looking_ at _you,_ Jiraiya – don't be mistaken. Even when I was with you during those nights, I was never truly yours. It will always be _him_." Her hazels eyes analysed him with the same intensity her tongue lashed out the cold truth. "You were just convenient."

His eyes widened at the revelation, too shell-shocked to even realise that she had slipped free from his grip and had unapologetically walked away from him. Tsunade continued to trudge through the rain with her head down, hurrying to her apartment before Jiraiya pursued her again. She didn't bother looking back to see his shattered expression, because she already knew that she had just stomped his feelings into a million more pieces.

With the way things have become, it was almost impossible to fathom to think that there was a time where Jiraiya was her closest and most trusted friend. The only one she could confide in without the fear of judgement. The only one who she thought she could trust at moments of need.

But that was never the case. She knew that now. It was just her naïveté that prevented her from seeing the reality of their relationship.

The first thing she did when she arrived in her home was to divest herself from her clothes and to drown herself under comforting blanket of the steam her shower provided. She scrubbed every inch of her cream canvas, with each stroke she remembered where Jiraiya touched her, kissed her. She scrubbed harder, hoping the sickening phantom sensation would fade away.

When she felt clean from his touch, she dried herself and wandered to her bedroom naked. She slipped into a fresh pair of underwear before she scavenged through her closet for something to wear for the night. That's when she saw _it._

With a shaken sigh, she took the dress shirt out from the closet and inhaled its scent. It still smelt like him – the scent of a masculine cologne, and a hint of aftershave still lingered on the fabric. "Dan…" she whispered solemnly, still inhaling the scent of his shirt. God, she missed him. Everything about him. His smile. His way with words when he comforted her. His passionate kisses when they were alone, that often caught her by surprise. The way he made love to her – tender but rough enough for her to beg for more. She missed his _love_ for her.

The world that seemed so warm now felt frozen. She didn't see it then, but Dan became her world – and she became his. But now that she has lost her Sun, she was slowly dying out without hope of being re-ignited back to life.

She whimpered at the thought of his missing presence in her life. "God, this is pathetic…" she chided weakly.

That may have been true, but it didn't stop her from clinging onto the fabric for a couple more minutes.


	12. Chapter 12

**I am fine**

' _I am fine.'_ Was almost a mantra in Kakashi's mind. For as long as he could remember, that was his loophole in explaining how he truly felt. Since, at the tender age of five, his mother told him that boys were strong and that they shouldn't cry.

Boys were knights – strong and chivalrous for their Princesses.

And for as long as Kakashi lived, he tried his best to uphold this chivalrous persona of his; always forgiving and caring to everybody he came across. But as his world fell from under his feet, he didn't know how he could ground himself into maintaining his selfless nature.

He woke up to a pair of voices bickering in the other room, already aware that his mother and her lover were arguing about him staying at their place. He shifted under the sheets and laid on his back, listening intently to the voices ricocheting across their home. The intensity of their conversation must have intensified to unfathomable heights for them to not notice how paper-thin the walls are and how he could easily hear them.

 _"He's staying here! He's all alone in that house. I-I can't just leave him there!"_

 _"Sure you can. You already have."_

 _"Why do you oppose this idea anyway?!"_

 _"Why? I don't know. It's not like he punched my face to the ground upon our first encounter."_

 _"W-What did you expect him to do?! Welcome you with open arms?"_

 _"He's not staying here. In my home. End of story, Sachi."_

His mother protested some more, but Kakashi decided to mute their voices with a pair of his headphones. The tumult created by the lovers soon became distorted and muffled under the bass of Kakashi's song. He increased the volume to its maximum and closed his eyes, divulging himself in his isolated space where he pretended that everything was _fine._

It wasn't until he had calmed the ripple inside him that he decided to pack his belongings into the duffel bag he had. After he pushed his clothes into his bag, he slipped into his varsity jacket and took the bag with him, with his headphones encircling around his neck.

He looked at the heated couple who were in the living room, still evidently livid with each other, and he sighed. "I'm leaving, Mother."

Sachi practically jumped out of the couch and ran to him. "W-What? Why? You're welcome here, darling."

A scoff escaped her lover's mouth.

"No. I'm fine." There it was again. He was _fine._ How many times does he have to say that in order to convince himself? It has gotten to the point that he doesn't really notice when he says it. The phrase became some sort of emotional reflex to protect his emotional mentality; he subconsciously walls off any possible entries to his heart. It hurt to do so but letting people in was much more painful.

"I-I'll drop you off." Sachi said, hurrying to grab her handbag.

"No." Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "I'm catching the train, instead."

"K-Kakashi…."

"I'm _fine_ ," he insisted. He looked at the man who remained sat in the living room, looking at him with such scrutiny. "Have a nice day," he spoke, caustic. His jaw clenched together when their eye contact prolonged past his comfort. There was something about the man's appearance that made Kakashi have the urge to beat it to a pulp.

"I will now," he reassured.

Sachi darted a dirty look at the man.

"I'm gonna go." Kakashi huffed, walking towards the door.

"I'll see you son, Kakashi." Sachi promised.

He looked over his shoulder and expressed a small smile. "….Yeah. See ya'."

* * *

He had planned on skipping school again but seeing that it was only _9:24 am_ and that he didn't have anything to do that day, he decided to throw on his uniform and commute to school. He arrived during recess and managed to avoid everyone when he manoeuvred to the library.

Unfortunately, he was stopped midway to the library when a lower year – probably a freshman – intercepted him at the corridor. He stuttered back and glanced at the bashful brown-headed girl who was choking up on her confession.

"I…."

Here it was again. The _'I have feelings for you, Kakashi-kun'_ type of confession, or the _'I have been watching you for a long time'_ type of confession. While both were as equally bothersome, the latter was too eerie for his liking.

"…that's why I wanted to ask you for a date." She finished, flushed-red.

Kakashi blinked. What did she just say? He had spaced out for so long he didn't even get 5% of that. It didn't matter, because he forced a slanted smile when he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you." He said blankly, just as lifeless as the first time someone had confessed to him. And with that, he walked past her.

It was all mechanical to him: he'd smile, say thanks and then walk away. If anyone asked him, that was his way of letting them down easy. At least he didn't ridicule them on the spot like some asshole.

He didn't bother to look at her friends who were trying to hide in the corner. The moment he past them, they rushed to her aid and comforted her as much as they could, knowing that rejections hurt like a bitch. But, oddly enough, he didn't feel any empathy for any admirers who came his way. They were all too transparent for his liking – they only took interest in him because they found him attractive or simply because they knew he was popular. But they didn't see him for _him._

That may sound too cliché, but it was the truth. They only saw him at face value, thinking that he would be the perfect boyfriend to have their arm wrapped around; the aesthetic that everyone would be envy about.

But he was not a decoration for girls to flaunt over.

He sat himself down in the corner of the library, plugged his headphones in, and drowned himself with his light reading. He would occasionally look at his watch to see if recess was over, but he often found himself too jaded to even care if he was going to be late for class. After all, who would want to attend Danzo Shimura's History lesson?

A 2-hour lesson with a cranky geezer like him? Yeah, he would like to pass.

"Kakashi!"

The silver-haired teen gazed upwards before he removed his headphones. "K-Kisame-sama!" he quickly acknowledged.

"I knew you would be ditching class here." The man palmed his face and sighed. "Danzo-sensei is getting riled up about your terrible attendance in his class. Keep this up and that man will have a vendetta against you."

"I just don't think learning about how tribes conquered the Land of Fire will help me in the future," Kakashi replied, shutting his book. "How will I apply that to my future, Kisame-sensei?"

"Don't be a smartass, Kakashi. You're a student here, so you will attend your classes." He folded his arms. "What has gotten into you, anyway?"

"Hm?"

"Your attitude, as well as your performance during our swim meets, has been short of disappointing as of late, boy." He elaborated as his eyes softened in pity for him. Despite his inquiry Kakashi knew that he had already heard about his father being hospitalised. Yet, he decided to play the fool, so he could open up.

"Don't mind me, Kisame-sensei." Kakashi grabbed his bag and stuffed his things in. "I'm fine."

The teacher nodded, albeit without confidence in the brat's reassurance. "Right…." He slowly said. "So long as I see you at practice, you hear? You're the star of the team, Kakashi. Don't let us down."

"I won't…." Kakashi gave a lopsided grin as he fastened his bag closed.

Kisame placed his hand on his shoulder, gripping him before he smiled. "Let's hope that we get to Nationals, alright? We were so close last year. But this year, with you, I'm sure we'll get in. Don't stress about it, though, alright? After all, you're also part of two other clubs."

Kakashi only nodded this time before he stepped past him. "Well, I've got to get to class, Kisame-sensei."

"You're already 30 minutes late," he noted, looking down at his watch.

"But –"

"Why don't you practice in the pool instead? I'm sure Danzo-sensei will not be angrier if you missed _another_ lesson of his."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he smirked.

Swimming will get his mind of things, that's for sure. The last thing he needed was wallowing in every single fragment of emotion he had stored away in his heart. The sheer amount of buried emotions has compiled into a mountain that they are beginning to flood their way through his barrier. And he knew that if he entertained those thoughts, he wouldn't be able to recover from them.

"I'll keep the place unlocked for you." Kisame whispered.

* * *

Kakashi emerged from the pool after he had completed consecutive laps without thinking about it. He removed his goggles from his eyes and looked at the time, realising that it was well into lunch time. He wiped the droplets of water from his face and pushed himself out of the pool to dry himself off.

As he mindlessly dabbed his towel against his skin, he contemplated back to when he witnessed his father on the floor, practically clinging onto the vestige of livelihood he had left as he convulsed controllably. Kakashi grimaced at the thought, knowing that he shouldn't have let himself wander in dangerous depths in his mind.

He believed his father to be a fighter. And he'll be damned if he ever lost trust in him. He'll make it out of this, he told himself. And everything will be normal again. Seeing how remorseful his mother has become, there may also be a tiny chance that they will rekindle their love for each other. It was no secret that Sakumo still loved Sachi, but he decided to let her go because he thought he over-burdened her. And Sachi was forced to move on.

If his father could recover from this relapse, then maybe everything could come back together; maybe they could become a _family_ again. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the possibility of having his mother and father in the same roof again, conversing and laughing like they used to.

But his lips fell downcast and he hung his head down, when he realised that his dream would never come true. His family was beyond redemption. And that was the reality of it.

"I knew Kisame-sensei smuggled you in here!"

Kakashi turned and saw Asuma and Obito at the entrance. "You guys!"

Asuma took the toothpick from his mouth. "You should have seen Shimura-sama in class. He was _pissed_ you skipped his class, you know."

"Oh," Kakashi blandly replied.

"You don't care, do you?"

"Not one bit."

Obito laughed. "You will when he comes for your head with his walking stick."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "He's old. He can't keep up with me."

"I don't think he'll be doing the chasing," Asuma said, "because he complained to Senju-sama. She promised that she'll give you a _word_ during tutorial tomorrow."

Obito sucked in air through his teeth. "You're kinda fucked."

"And you can't really run away from Senju-sama, too. She can hurl that 300-paged textbook at you again."

Kakashi ruffled his wet locks and groaned. "Don't remind me about that." Knowing how eerily precise her trajectory with that book was too scary for his liking. Was she a Javelin Olympian or something?! Given her mildly toned body and her insane strength, he wouldn't put it past her.

"Also, isn't it standard protocol to lock the doors when the pool is being used?" Asuma asked. "Why didn't you lock it?"

"I doubt that people would come here during lesson."

"W-Wait… Why do they have to lock the pool when it's in use?" Obito asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, because a _certain_ person here caused an avalanche of fangirls during practice." Asuma answered, seeing Kakashi grow exasperated. " Mr Hotshot here and his abs couldn't get the girls to stop squealing. It was so bad that practice had to be cut short. Ever since then Kisame-sensei locked the doors to the pool when practice is on."

"What's so special about stupid-Kakashi," Obito huffed, chewing on the straw of his juice box. "He's just a closet-pervert who likes reading porn."

"For the last time, it's not porn. It's an adventure story with romance as a subplot! It just happens to be quite graphic during _those_ scenes." Kakashi hastily corrected, shooting a glare sharp glare at the Uchiha.

"Oh, is this from that Jiraiya guy?" The Sarutobi teen asked, gaining confirmation from his black-haired friend. "Ah. I heard he got kicked out of the hot springs because he was peeping on them. He sounds like a real perv, to be honest. But, I guess, people cut from the same cloth have the same taste. Isn't that right, Pervy-Kakashi?"

Obito chortled as Asuma mischievously grinned at Kakashi.

"Keep this up, Asuma, and Kurenai will know you're puffing cigarettes behind her garage when you're together."

"Hey! That's not cool!" Asuma whined. "F-Fine. I-I'll t-tell people about –"

"About…?"

"That you and Shizune made out during that Summer Trip we went on."

 _"You what?!"_ Obito began to choke on the straw of his juicebox.

Kakashi's eyebrows knitted together. "I-I didn't _'make out'_ with Shizune during that trip."

"I swear I saw you."

"You can swear all you like, but I've never kissed Shizune. In fact, I've never kissed anyone."

"Wait…" Obito slowly said after he had coughed up the straw. "You've _never_ kissed _anyone?"_

Kakashi's face grew red upon realising that he had just revealed one of his secrets. "Um.."

"So, you've never been to _first_ base with anyone?" Asuma asked curiously.

"N-No…."

"Hm… Interesting."

"I can't believe I kissed someone before Kakashi has!" Obito laughed.

"So, that means the most popular guy in this highschool is also a _virgin_." Asuma concluded as he cupped his chin.

Kakashi's face reddened even more but he stormed away to the shower room before they could see his face.

"Oi, where are you going?" Obito asked.

"I need a shower!" He shouted back.

"He's a virgin," Obito repeated with glee.

" _You're_ also a virgin, Obito." Asuma noted. "I don't know why you're acting all high and mighty."

"Hey! We're ganging up on Kakashi, not having a free for all!" Obito then pulled a face. "So you and Kurenai have done _it?_ "

Asuma's tanned complexion reddened. "N-Not e-exactly." They barely got to second base.

The Uchiha jabbed his finger at him. "So you're _also_ a virgin!"

"Alright, shuttup! We're _all_ virgins here!"

* * *

Their next lesson consisted of being put into a mandatory programme of track and field in the Wintery afternoon. Even though they were donned in their tracksuits, the chills of the icy afternoon still penetrated through their skin. Obito huddled next to Kakashi and shivered almost comically. "D-Damn that Asuma; he managed to get out from this shit because he failed English."

Kakashi gave him the side eye. "I think you'd rather do this than resit that 2-hour paper."

"Well, yeah. It's just this weather is a bitch. It doesn't help that coach is late, too." He whined as he rubbed his arms. "Fuck. He's too late. I wonder what's keeping him." When he didn't hear or see much of a response from his bestfriend, he frowned. "Do you have a stick up your ass or something?"

Kakashi glanced at him. "W-What?"

"Why are you all gloomy and shit?"

Was he _really_ asking that? Kakashi thought. He only huffed. "Nothing."

"Man, you're depressing. Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

Kakashi contemplated about telling him the truth as he pretended to be preoccupied with stretching. After he had finished his lunges, he looked back at the now-quizzical Uchiha and gave his signature faux-fake smile. "I'm fine."

Obito grimaced. " _Don't_ smile like that ever again."

"W-Why?"

"It looks like you're trying to seduce me or something. It's fucking creepy."

Kakashi laughed. "You wish."

He snorted. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are people supposed to be flattered when you smile at them?"

"Well…"

"Oh, shut up." Obito snapped. "Go away, Mr Popular."

Kakashi chuckled. "Come on. Let's do some warm up laps," he encouraged by slapping him on the back.

* * *

Their track session ended when the last bell rang. As per usual, Kakashi finished getting changed and said his farewell to Obito before he hurried up to his tutorial class for his Class Rep. duties. When he stumbled into the room, he saw that Shizune had already organised the paperwork that was left for them to do.

She raised her head and looked at him. "Hey," she said sweetly, with a hint of remorse still plaguing her eyes. "You're only a minute late."

Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I've been improving on my time management."

Surprisingly enough, she nodded in agreement. "True. But you're selective with your time management. I haven't seen you attend Shimura's History class in forever. I swear, I see him froth at the corner of his mouth each time he sees that your seat is vacant."

"That's why I had to rush up here. I couldn't take the chance of running into him. If he were to see me, I wouldn't see the light of day again."

Shizune giggled. "Perhaps you could make good use of your physical prowess and outrun the poor man. Lord knows that his limping will not help him if he tries to chase you."

Kakashi grabbed a seat and planted it on the adjacent side of her desk. "That's too mean, I think." He looked at the petition she was signing and raised a brow. "Are you actually advocating this?"

"What's wrong with it?" she asked. "I mean, a field trip in the Land of Grass is a great idea! We deserve the break! Besides, the entire year wants it to happen. As Class Rep., I'm listening to what the students want." She explained pridefully.

" _You_ want to go to Land of Grass, don't you? To see that famed Haunted House."

The pride on the teen's face faded and she bashfully looked at him. "W-Was I too transparent?"

"Just a _tiny_ bit," he said almost endearingly. "You always scrunch up your nose when you lie, you know that."

Shizune quickly covered her face. "I-I do?"

"It's not a bad thing. I find it quite cute," he smirked.

She blushed for a moment before she frantically tried to break the ice. "I-I-I think you-you should also sign this petition and present it to the headmaster. We have a duty, you know."

"And what duty is that?"

"To be the voices of the students!" She confidently said with a beaming smile. "And besides, wouldn't you want to see that infamous haunted house? Apparently if you stay there in the afternoon, you will be able to see shadows of the past owners of the mansion."

Kakashi took her pen and placed his name down. "You've got an odd sense of relaxation, you know."

"You're one to talk," she coyly smiled at him. "Don't think we don't know about your _taste_ in literature, especially those serialised in magazines. What was the name of that series again?" she hummed, thrumming her fingers on the desk, drinking in Kakashi's reddened expression. "You know, the controversial one with a lot of _coupling_ scenes."

Kakashi gulped as his eyes remained widened. "H-How….."

"Obito told me about it." She laughed. "I never thought that Class. Rep-Kakashi-kun would be in _that_ kind of genre!"

"It's not what you think!" he tried to say. "It-It's a _beautiful_ story!"

Shizune giggled before she placed her hand on his cheek. "Look at you – you've become a ripened tomato."

Kakashi's breath caught and his eyes travelled down to her hand on his cheek. "Shi…"

She smiled sweetly. "You're quite cute when you're flustered, Kakashi."

For a moment everything became quiet, but Kakashi chuckled. "You're the first one to say that about me…" he cupped her hand that was on his cheek and kissed the palm of it. "You're the first to a lot of things for me."

"Kakashi…" she withdrew her hand from him and placed it on her lap, angling her head away so he wouldn't be able to see her blushes properly. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and they were so close to each other that he could probably hear it thudding against her ribcage. "S-Shall we f-fi-finish the paperwork the teachers gave us?"

He smirked. "You've already done it, Class Rep."

"Oh," she answered, shocked. "I-I-I did…. W-Well…. I-I-I guess we c-can h-head h-h-home, then. I'll just give these petition to the Headmaster tomorrow mo-morning…" She made the mistake to lock eyes with Kakashi's alluring pair and she stopped pushing all her books into her backpack.

Kakashi looked away for a moment when he bit his tongue. He contemplated about what he was about to say and decided to say, ' _fuck it',_ to his inner turmoil _._ "Let's eat somewhere."

"W-What?"

"There's this diner nearby; they make killer burgers and milkshakes. Would you like to come with me?"

"O-Oh, okay. Sure. I'll just check if I have enough money with me."

"No."

"Huh?" She looked up from her purse, bemused. "No?"

"I'll pay for your meal."

"K-Kakashi, I don't want to borrow money."

"No. You're not going to have to borrow money from me." He combed his damp locks back. "I want us to go on a date."

"H-Huh?" she said again.

"We said we would last summer. Let's do that now."

"I thought we couldn't because Rin would –"

"Forget about, Rin." He said suddenly before he stood up. "I-I really want to talk to someone, Shizune. And _you're_ the one I'd like to talk to. Is that alright? Or am I coming in too strong?"

She shook her head. "No. You're not coming in too strong."

"So, will you go on a date with me?" he smiled.

Shizune bit on her lower lip before she nodded. "Okay. I will."

"Great. It's a date."

* * *

A/N: I'll try to update every month or so, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep that schedule up. XD


	13. Chapter 13

**Two Halves**

While the diner was scarce of people and of much tumult, Kakashi's inner mind and heart raged like a colosseum packed full of spectators wagering their livelihood on the outcome of events. He didn't know how to feel because all of his emotions were crashing into his consciousness like the Titanic. He tried to look calm from the waist up, but from the waist down, he was a nervous wreck; he had been tapping his foot with anxiety ever since they sat down.

Shizune took a sip from her strawberry milkshake before she glanced up at him. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. Oh, yeah." He tried to say smoothly with a scoff, as if to say, _'why would he be nervous?'._ It wasn't like he was on an official date with a girl he has admired for months on end. It wasn't like they were sat across each other at close proximity, with their feet occasionally brushing past each other.

"You haven't touch your order yet." She noted, nodding at his plate and his uneaten burger. "For someone who recommended this place, you're not eating much."

Kakashi nervously chuckled. "S-Sorry. I-I-I've just been distracted."

Her onyx eyes softened for him and she placed her hand on top of his. A bold move to do from a bashful girl like her. "Is this about your father?" she tenderly asked. "Because Kakashi –"

"No, no." He quickly said. "It's not about my father." Although, now that thought has eclipsed his mind, he felt another pang of emotion that felt raw to his heart. He cleared his throat as he sat himself up on the booth, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. But at the back of his mind ached at the thought of Sakumo still laying in the hospital bed.

"Oh." The look of regret was evident in her face; she was always expressive like that. "Oh, god. I'm so stupid. I'm sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to…." she groaned with regret.

He expressed a faint smile. "It was an honest question," he said without contempt. "You were worried. I get that." He gripped her hand and allowed for his thumb to run small circles on the back of her hand. "I'm glad we got to do this."

"Me, too." She confessed, gripping his hand back. "I thought you had gotten over us after summer. It had been months since we last –"

"I never got over what happened between us, Shizune." He confirmed. "And I'm sorry about withdrawing so abruptly. You didn't deserve that."

"You did it for Rin, I get that. She is your bestfriend, after all. And I didn't want to get in the middle of what you guys have. I mean, it's clear that Rin loves you." She gazed at him when he choked on his milkshake. "She does. You know that, don't you?"

"Rin and I are like siblings. I-I…. Rin doesn't love me in _that_ way."

"That's how _you_ feel. But is that what she feels? Have you talked to her about this?" She paused for a moment, allowing for the teen to absorb the revelation she had just revealed to him.

"I-um…. Surely if Rin felt that way, she would tell me."

"And gamble losing you as her friend? I don't think she's that gutsy. In the days she's been hanging around me, I was able to see how she looked at you. The way she looked at you wasn't the way you would look at a friend." She leaned forward and locked eyes with him. "I want us to see whatever this is between us. But I can't do that until you talk to Rin. I like her, and I don't want to hurt her."

"O-Okay…" he nodded. "I'll talk to her, to clear the air."

Shizune slid her hand from his grasp and continued to sip at her strawberry milkshake. "If you're not going to eat that burger, I will eat it for you," she warned, clearing the must of tension between them.

Kakashi chuckled. Surely, she couldn't eat a 24 oz burger. But she gave him a dangerous look that made him re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about her. He slowly slid his plate away from her with a look of worry. It looked like she was about to jump at his burger and devour it within seconds.

She laughed. "Relax. I'm not going to."

Kakashi's cautious stance eased.

"Yet." She added.

He reassumed his stance.

* * *

Kakashi didn't know when it happened, but it just did, and it felt so right. They walked through the centre of the city, hand in hand, and window shopped along the way. When Shizune wasn't looking, Kakashi would glance down at his hand holding hers, as if to confirm if it was real. It was real alright. The heat which radiated from her hand melted the ice that chilled his hand and warmed him.

He would steal glances of her every so often, and with each glance, he found himself falling harder for her. He didn't know what it was about her to make him act out of character. Shizune wasn't the popular girl in highschool. Not a lot of guys fawned over her. She was just a regular school girl who got on with her life. But she charmed him in a way no other girl could.

"Hey, look!" Shizune practically shouted, running to the opposite direction Kakashi was about to take, essentially dragging him behind her.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Kakashi, Shizune knew that he would look at her every now and then. She just tried to act oblivious about it by trying to point at any shops she could point at. She couldn't let him see that she was reddened by his touch and his gentle gaze. She didn't want him to hear how loud her heart was racing in her chest. And how the thought of doing something bolder than holding hands repeatedly badgered in her mind.

They walked like a couple in the _centre_ of the city, where hundreds of people could see them, without thinking of any of the ramifications. If anyone from their school were to see them, she was confident that it would send wildfire throughout the school. And then Rin would find out about them. Her stomach dipped at the thought of the auburn girl's reaction about them. She knew that she wouldn't be candid about it.

But the thought didn't stop her from wanting to be closer to Kakashi.

She leaned closer to him as they walked, hoping that she was discrete enough that he didn't even notice. But he did. "Are you cold?" he asked. He had said that so calmly, Shizune didn't know how to respond. Was she the only one feeling the butterflies? How can Kakashi have such great composure when she felt like she was about to burst?

Maybe it was because he has done this with other girls before. With more attractive girls from other highschools, surely.

"Oh, look at him – he's so hot!" she heard one schoolgirl whisper to her friend, whilst the other tried to take a sneaky picture of him.

The sense of security Shizune had – little as it may had been – quickly diminished. What was she thinking? It was clear as day that they weren't compatible; he was on another league in the social hierarchy. And she was just…. _average_. And yet she somehow managed to gain his interest.

As they continued to meander around the shops, she couldn't help but notice the attention he gathered. Girls and women were quick to give him a second glance, with others giving her a questionable look.

Shizune looked down onto the ground and chewed on her lower lip. Kakashi was too good for her. That was clear now.

"Hi!" A preppy girl suddenly morphed in front of them, and Shizune staggered back. Not only because she had randomly appeared in front of them, but because she was breath-takingly beautiful.

"Hey," Kakashi greeted with a small smile.

"I'm Hanare," she introduced as she extended her hand out, clearly blanking out Shizune.

Kakashi hesitantly pulled his hand out of his pocket to shake her hand. "Kakashi."

"Have we met before?" she asked. The classic way to pull people into a flirtatious conversation.

"I-I don't think so."

"I think we have. I mean, it's hard to forget a handsome face like yours."

Kakashi chuckled back. "You're a flatterer."

"I'm honest." She said evenly. "Are you a model, perhaps?"

"I'm not, no." He then looked at Shizune and cleared his throat. "Listen, we need to go. I'm sorry. It was nice to meet you, though."

For the first time, Hanare stared at Shizune, almost appraisingly. A sense of victory was probably felt by Hanare, because she smiled so triumphantly after giving Shizune a complete scan from head to toe. "Is she your girlfriend?" she asked.

"Um… no. We're not like _that._ " Kakashi responded.

She knew she didn't have the right to feel the way she did, but she felt hurt when he had said that. But, then again, they had only started to communicate in this fashion only recently. She didn't have the right to be jealous…. _Right?_

"Ah," the gleeful tone to her face brightened. "Well, if you have the time, come by to our studio."

"E-Excuse me?"

"I work for a modelling agency, and we're currently trying to hire some more guys. You're one of the few we've approached today." She gestured back to her boss, who waved at them so femininely. "She really likes your aesthetic."

"Uh…"

"Here," she got out a business card from her purse. "Listen, there are no auditions. We only come to those we know we want. There's good money involved, too."

Kakashi took the card and looked at it.

"We're a genuine company," she reassured. "No funny business."

"You're a swimwear modelling company," Kakashi realised.

"Not _just_ swimwear, but, yes, that's what we are most known for. Do you know my boss?"

"No-no…"

"That's only because she's in her hideous disguise, but she's Mei Terumi."

Shizune almost fainted.

"Who?" Kakashi frowned.

"She's _the_ top model, Kakashi!" Shizune practically fangirled. "She's in nearly every single magazine cover! Oh, my god, she's absolutely _stunning_!"

"We're the real deal, Kakashi." Hanare winked. "Call us when you realise you're interested."

"Y-Yeah."

"See you around," she almost purred, gliding her hand on his bicep. "Don't keep us waiting for too long."

When they were both alone again, Shizune couldn't help but notice that he was still staring at the card. Was he actually interested? "Are you going to sign up?"

"I don't know…. She did say that it was good money. God knows I need the money right now."

Shizune glanced up at the model duo from afar and saw that they were staring that Kakashi intently, probably dissecting what they thought was his most attractive feature. "I say go for it," she tried to smile. But knowing that someone like Hanare would be leeching onto Kakashi unsettled her. After all, the vibe she exuded was intoxicating.

"Maybe," he whispered, pocketing the business card in his coat pocket. "Hey, do you want to get some frozen yoghurt?"

Shizune nodded. "Y-Yeah."

His hand clasped hers tighter, as if he had felt her discomfort. "Great. I know a great place."

* * *

By the time they decided to call it a day, it was pouring down like an avalanche, with newscasters broadcasting that people should stay in their houses until the havoc passed by. Both Kakashi and Shizune ran to the train station, whilst huddled together under a small umbrella Shizune had. Their feet sloshed through the deep puddles in the city, but they were already too wet to even notice.

"I had a great time today," Kakashi said when they were at the entrance of the train station. "I wish I could walk you home, though."

"Don't worry about it! You need to head home now, anyways. You know, before you get the worst from this storm. They are saying that your part will be flooded."

"It'll be fine," he reassured. He then saw that she was shaking in the cold; it wasn't much of a surprise since she was donned in a short skirt and a thin coat. He quickly unwrapped the scarf around his neck and rounded it around her. "You'll catch a cold…"

"But –"

Kakashi tipped her face up by her chin and placed a delicate kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for today." He gave her the umbrella and turned to leave. But before he could, Shizune pulled him back by his arm. He arched up a brow. "Is something wrong?"

Shizune's eyes darted back and forth from his eyes and his lips. She then placed her hand on his shoulder and tiptoed. And before she knew it, she had sealed the distance between their lips. It wasn't like in the movies, where there were explosions that represented their budding love, but it still felt _explosive_ enough to leave an imprint in her memory of this moment.

His lips were soft but unyielding, _starved._ She stepped closer to his body and placed her hand on the back of his head. It had been a surprise when arms wrapped around her body and pulled her against him. She gasped softly for air but was quick to press her lips against his again. Her fingers curled around his strands. Her heart was hammering, but she soon realised than his was, too.

He parted from her, slowly. He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'll see you at school, Shizune."

She nodded. "Y-yeah." She distanced herself from him and waved. "B-Bye…"

Kakashi turned and walked into the station with a brightened smile plastered on his face. He touched his lips that were still raw from the sensation of her lips dancing with his. He felt like he was on fire and that everything around him was spinning.

He sat himself down in the train with a smirk. Her lips were almost too nice to kiss. He didn't know what to say after they had kissed, because his mind was spiralling with euphoria and the image of her lips.

His eyes then blinked to the screen of his phone when it illuminated. Shizune had messaged him.

 _Shizune: I had a fun time today. We should do it again some other time._

Kakashi smiled like an idiot for the rest of the train ride.

* * *

Kakashi sprinted on his way home, with only his bag protecting him from the downpour of rain. When he reached the front gates of his house, he saw a woman with an umbrella shoving a thick parcel into his postbox before she decided to walk away.

He was fast enough to intercept them by forcing them to turn around by their shoulder. "S-Senju-sama!" he gasped.

She raised the umbrella higher, so he could gain protection from the rain. "I was just dropping off all of the classwork you have missed."

"In this kind of weather?"

"It wasn't pouring like hell when I was on the train to your home. Had it been, then I would have waited for Monday to give it to you. I could have given it to you during school, but you haven't been exactly easy to find this week."

"I'm sorry, Senju-sama. I didn't think that you –"

"It was the deal I struck with the headmaster, so he could give you a week's break. It's what I signed up for. Well, apart from delivering your work when it's raining like cats and dogs."

"W-Would you like to take shelter in my home until the rain passes by?"

"No, no. It's fine. I have a train to catch and a fresh-set of clothes to get into."

"Are you sure? You're quite wet." He noted with concern.

"I'm fi—" The wind torrent howled past them, causing Kakashi to cover his eyes from the gust of wind. However, her shriek made him peel his eyes open, witnessing her black umbrella blow inside out, with the metal support of her break snapping backwards. "Shit!"

Kakashi covered her hand with his, grasping onto the umbrella that threatened to slip from her grasp, and looked at her. "Come inside," Kakashi offered. "And I'll call you a taxi."

"A taxi won't come here. I need to go and catch the train."

"The trains are getting cancelled as we speak, Senju-sama. You won't make it." He held her by her forearm. "Just…. come and dry yourself off at my place. It's not—"

"It _is_ weird, Kakashi. With these rumours about us, I can't feed fuel to the fire by coming into your home. No. I can't."

"I can't let you wander through this weather." He tugged at her arm. " _Please._ Just come with me. No one will know about this, I swear."

She sighed in defeat. "I'll wait for my taxi to come in your house."

"Good." He smiled. "Come. We need to get out of this rain."

* * *

"The bathroom is upstairs to your left." Kakashi gestured as he helped peel off her thin trench coat from her body. "I'll call the taxi for you."

Tsunade hurried up the flight of stairs and locked herself in his bathroom, internally groaning at the predicament God has put her in. She was in her student's toilet. How much weirder can things get?!

She divested herself from her wet clothes, apart from her underwear and bra, and placed them outside of the bathroom, just like Kakashi ordered. She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a wreck, with her hair blown out of place. Thank god she opted to not wear any makeup.

"Are you alright there, Senju-sama?" Kakashi's voice echoed from behind the door.

"I'm good!" she reassured.

"I'll leave some clothes for you outside."

"Thanks," she said as she unclasped her bra and slipped off her underwear. She then turned on the shower before she stepped inside the glass cubicle.

When she was finished drying herself off, she opened the door slightly and peeked out to see a pile of clothes by the door. She got dressed in, what she could assume, Kakashi's clothes and awkwardly made her way downstairs.

If any of his classmates were to take refuge in his home at this very second, they would get the wrong impression of this situation. After all, she was in his home, in his clothes. Good god, what has she done to provoke the Heavenly Divine to be placed in this hellish situation?

She walked into the kitchen and saw Kakashi pouring homemade soup into two bowls. He looked up at her and tried to smile. "I hope you like miso soup, Senju-sama. It's the only thing I could think of cooking."

He went back to retrieve to more bowls and scooped out some rice for the both of them. She sat herself down on the dining table and awkwardly accepted the food Kakashi gave to her. "T-Thank you…"

"I tried calling the taxi companies, Senju-sama. So far, none of them are willing to drive to this area."

Tsunade broke her chopsticks and paused. "A-Are the trains…?"

"They have all been cancelled." Kakashi announced. "The last train into the city was an hour ago."

Her shoulders slumped forward. "Great…" she muttered. She was stuck here indefinitely.

"Your clothes are now in the dryer, by the way."

"Thank you…" She took her first bite in her meal. And to her surprise, she took a liking to Kakashi's cooking. "This is good," she smiled.

"Thank you."

"Do you cook often?"

He nodded. "Ever since Dad couldn't cook that often, I became the main cook in this family."

"I never would have thought that you would have a good hand in cooking."

He laughed. "I'd like to think that I'm full of surprises."

"You are," she said almost endearingly. "Some of those surprises are terrible, though."

"Like what?"

"Your relapsing tardiness." She smirked. "Don't think I haven't notice your attendance begin to fall. I've already had an earful from Danzo-sensei because you have not attended his class in a month."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "I can't help it. His lessons are a bore."

Tsunade shook her head. "Still, just show up. I don't like having to face his unpleasant streak every morning in the staff room."

"I-I'll try."

"Your week off is official over. Not that you even used it to its fullest. So, by next week, I want a full attendance from you… Alright?"

"S-sure…" he nodded. "I'll give it my best to try and survive Shimura-sama's boring lessons."

Tsunade softly smiled, knowing that he was being genuine about _trying._ As she continued to consume her food, she caught glimpses of Kakashi just gawking at her. "What is it?" she asked.

"N-Nothing…" he whispered, pushing himself up to clear the table from his dishes.

Once he had stationed himself at the sink, he took a deep breath and tried to shake the memory of his eyes darting where it shouldn't have. He didn't think his shirt would be that thin for small intricate details of her bra to make it through the fabric. He felt like a pervert for even looking down from her face. What was wrong with him?! Was this because he was still worked up with the kiss?

As he tried to calm himself, he could hear Tsunade tidy up after herself. He quickly feigned his cool composure and started clearing the plates.

"J-Just put the dishes here. I'll wash it up for you." Kakashi quickly said. "P-please make yourself at home."

"Are you sure? I could wash these for you. After all, you have cooked for me." She was right beside him, with her arm touching his.

"No, no. Please. Just relax in the living room for a while." He smiled.

"Thank you," she said softly, brushing past him.

Kakashi bowed his head down and took a breather. Why was he getting flustered all of the sudden?

That was because he was alone with her in his home, he finally realised.


	14. Chapter 14

**Stir**

Kakashi concentrated all of his attention on his hearing so he could discriminate the sounds made from Tsunade pacing in the living from the rhythmic pitter-pattering of raindrops pelting against his glass windows. From what he could hear, Tsunade hasn't sat down since he told her to make herself at home.

Turns out he wasn't the only one who was apprehensive with this predicament.

After he finished washing the dishes, he dried his hands and sighed to relieve the inner stress he had been compiling since he stupidly welcomed her in his home. He wasn't just going to leave her out in the cold, though! But it was quite bizarre knowing that his teacher was in his living room, donned in his joggers and t-shirt.

Kakashi practically had to kick himself in the ass to start walking into the living room, where he saw her staring outside of the window as she conversed with someone on the phone. It was very hush-hush that he couldn't pick up what she was saying; that was odd because she didn't look like she had to capability to say things discretely.

"I'll call you when I get home." He finally heard from her. "Bye."

When she turned to him, he perked up from the couch. "W-Who was that, Senju-sama?"

She crossed her arms and leaned against the window pane. "Oh. It was just my younger brother. He heard about the flood alerts and was wondering if I was in the danger zone."

"Oh. W-Well… I can assure you that the worst thing that will happen here is a bit of water seeping through the gates." She seemed to take his word for it because she smiled.

"Are you thinking of switching jobs?" she asked, nodding at the business card Kakashi had received earlier that day.

Kakashi flinched back, not quite expecting for her to notice on the business card. Then again, she has been pacing back and forth for several minutes when he was in the kitchen. "Oh… I'm thinking about it. It seems too good to be true, though. I mean –"

"They just approached you on the streets, am I right?"

"Y-Yeah. Isn't that quite _shady?"_

"Not really. Many business men and women, especially those in the industry like fashion, always have their eyes peeled for potential candidates for a new line." She sat down on the leather arm of the couch. "And that's how someone like Mei Terumi operates, anyway. She's never the type to read a bunch of resumes."

Kakashi's face paled. "W-Wait… do you _know_ Mei Terumi?"

"I do."

"So…. This is _genuine_?" He asked, inspecting the monochrome-themed card.

"It is. She established her business only a year ago, but she has worked with the biggest modelling agency prior to going solo."

"Wow."

"If they really like you, you can get four digits in one gig. Of course, it will get bigger than that, but for a freshman like yourself, that's a big deal. Normally, no-name models are only paid three digits in their starting gigs."

"H-How do you know a lot about this?"

"I've had my hand in that business during my college years. That's how I know Mei Terumi; we were often pitted against each other in magazines, because we were both new the business. That said, I am younger than Mei, so that created a lot of tension within the industry because they made it seem as if Mei was a fruit past its date despite being a beginner in modelling."

"But you guys got over it." Kakashi smiled.

"Eh." Tsunade made a gesture to say things were still quite shaky. "We have our moments." She looked at him as he made repeated glances at the business card that was glowing in his hands. "Go for it. Mei Terumi has a lot of connections so if you do good, you _will_ get far."

"Why didn't you stick with fashion, then?"

"Being in front of the camera isn't my scene. Besides, I only did it to cover my college fees. I knew that being in fashion was only temporary for me."

"That's a shame because you look the part," Kakashi mused, unbeknownst to him he had said it out loud.

"Flattered." She smirked before she flipped her hair on one her left shoulder. "So…" her fingers combed through her wet tresses as she looked around the room. "Have you lived here all of your life?"

A look of relief filtered his face when she didn't dwell on his compliment. He lounged back on the adjacent couch. "No. This house was designed by my parents, so it took a long time to come to fruition."

"Ah…" She looked behind her and saw a picture frame of Kakashi with his parents on a glass table beside the couch. "Looks like you've been a swimmer for quite some time." She smiled.

"Ever since I could walk. My mother was insistent in raising a child who has a hand at most physical sports." He shifted closer to the edge of couch and gestured to the photo. "That was the first competition I won."

"You look like a goofball smiling this wide – it's cute."

He sheepishly ruffled his hair as he tried to hide the streaks of pink that filtered his cheeks. Tsunade placed the photo back down and stretched her arms up. It was obvious that they had run out of things to talk about.

Kakashi inhaled sharply when silence instilled upon them again. Well, it was back to awkwardness, then. "If you don't mind me asking," he suddenly said, "how do you know Jiraiya-sama? You seem to be affiliated with a lot of famous people, you know."

"Oh, that knucklehead? We go way back to elementary. We have been friends for a long time."

" _Friends?"_

"It's complicated," she huffed. "A lot has happened between us that I can't even put a label on what our dynamic has become. I mean, what do you expect? We've known each other for nearly twenty years – things are bound to get rough."

"I see…."

"I'm guessing you have a similar dynamic with Obito and Rin – being childhood friends and all."

"Yeah. I've known them for…. Well, it feels like I've known them since I was born. Obito and I were neighbours before I moved into this house. And Rin wasn't far from us either, she was at the next street over. So, afterschool, we were pretty much inseparable." He looked up from his hands and up to her. "Thank you, by the way, for not being too harsh on Rin."

"I didn't see the point in making her feel degraded. I saw where she was coming from, even if she approached it the wrong way, and knowing that she did it from the goodness of her heart just…. made me ease up on her." She combed her bangs back. "But don't think I'll be that generous if she persists with her vendetta against me. Once is enough. I'm not tolerating it."

"I-I'll talk to her."

"Oh, you guys are friends now?"

"N-Not exactly." He scratched his head. "Things are also complicated on my side."

Tsunade eased a smile. "You guys will get through this."

"I hope so…." His gaze averted from hers as he became doleful.

"You're too young to be looking depressed, Kakashi." She said softly, evening her attention at him.

His lips curled upwards slightly as he gave a small ' _hmph'_ underneath his breath. "Fair point. Although, I can say the same to you, since you're not that much older than me."

She rolled her eyes. "Touchѐ."

"W-Would you like some hot chocolate?" Kakashi offered, hoping he could exit the room to gain some air.

"Are you going to couple that with whipped cream and marshmallows?"

" _Would_ you like me add whipped cream and marshmallows?"

"Preferably, yeah."

He chuckled as he walked back into the kitchen. Thankfully their short conversational topics have eased the awkwardness between them. He could withstand this sort of interaction for longer, he guessed. After all, they have already broken the ice. (Perhaps not completely, but they were making progress.)

* * *

Kakashi came back with two cups full of hot chocolate – with Tsunade's abundantly decorated with marshmallows and whipped cream. "One hot chocolate for you," he smiled, placing her beverage on a coaster on the glass coffee table.

"Wow. _That_ is diabetes in a cup." Tsunade was quick to say in her usual candour, inspecting the pristine cup, mildly impressed that it didn't overflow.

"You only live once." Kakashi smirked, taking a sip from his noticeably bland hot chocolate, since it lacked the whipped cream and marshmallows (he had given her all of it). "S-Senju-sama—"

" _Tsunade."_ She insisted. "Stop calling me by that title, especially when we're not at the school premises."

"I-I-I-I ca-can't do that!" Kakashi stuttered defiantly, coughing out some of his drink.

"Why not?"

"Because!"

She quirked her eyebrow up. "I would tell all my other students this if I were in the same situation with them as I am now with you." Her shoulders sagged down as she gave a prolonged sigh. "Listen, Kakashi, I'm not comfortable with this, either. So, you have to meet me halfway here. Just for once, let me forget about this social boundary between us. We're just two people stuck under one roof, waiting for the rain to die down."

Kakashi was silent for a moment before he resigned a nod. "Okay..." His eyes slowly trailed up her face and he licked his lips before he spoke. _"T-T-Tsunade."_

"Thank you. That wasn't bad, was it?"

"It feels like I just spoke a foreign language." He grimaced, taking another sip of his drink. ' _Tsunade,'_ he said in his mind, feeling himself repeat it in a softer tone. His hardened onyx eyes felt malleable for a moment as his heart unexpectedly pumped harder than it did when he felt himself nervously step into a new – and dangerous - territory.

The sudden nuance of their dynamic in his life seemed to make him mentally careen down into a flustering mess, because she was _'Senju-sama'_ to him – nothing more and nothing less than a authoritative figure whom he so happened to have saved. But this sudden shift in how he was going to address her for the night... _nerved_ him.

Even if he wouldn't acknowledge that it did so.

He placed his mug down onto a coaster and cleared his throat. "H-H-How long do you think this downpour will last for…. _T-T-Tsunade?_ " he asked, stuttering like an idiot as he did so.

It looked as if she has taken notice of his discomfort when her tantalizing molten eyes flicked his way, but she re-directed her gaze when he accidentally met hers. She repositioned herself on the couch, legs crossed, and she looked out of the window. By the looks of things – and how _bad_ the shower was becoming – she may have to seek refuge here _all night._

"Hopefully it'll die down soon," she finally replied, fixated on the window.

Kakashi nodded in agreement, trying his best to remain optimistic even though he knew it was futile. After a moment of silence, he finally raised his head and analysed the blonde who was completely transfixed at the window. "What are you thinking about, Sen…Tsunade?" he quietly asked, swallowing thickly as a pang of regret came into the pit of his stomach when she seemed to ignore his question.

He watched as Tsunade hesitantly looked away from the window and down to the floor before she met his eyes. "S-Sorry…" she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I was just thinking of someone." Her eyes softened, and her lips fell downcast. "He always liked the rain, you see."

"Is this someone your brother?"

She shook her head and looked back at the window. Her hand aimlessly fidgeted with the ring necklace she had around her neck as she began to reminisce about the phantom she mentioned.

Kakashi nodded understandably, knowing that the topic may be delicate for her. As he contemplated of giving her space, a distant bark was heard through the walls of his home. They both perked up and Tsunade leaned closer to the window, in search of the source of the noise. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

Kakashi hurried onto the couch she was lounging on and peeked through the window. "Damn it, I can't see!" He jumped off the couch and hurried to the front door, with Tsuande tailing behind him. "I'll be right back."

"You can't go out there!" she protested.

"The worse that can happen to me is getting wet. But that dog in the streets will suffer worse consequences. The rain isn't going to die down any time soon; it's probably going to get worse from here." He slipped into his shoes and opened the door. "Just… stay in here, okay?"

After a few minutes of pacing about as she waited for Kakashi, the door suddenly swung forward, revealing a dog bundled in his arms. "Can you please get me a towel from the bathroom?" Kakashi asked, setting the very wet dog down onto the floor.

Tsunade hurried upstairs and returned with a new towel in her hands. She handed him it and watched him thoroughly dry the dog. She knelt down and stroked the dog's wet fur when she heard it whimpering in fright. "There, there…." She whispered soothingly, languidly pushing her fingers through its brown fur.

"I think it's a stray," Kakashi said, tilting the dog's head slightly to look for its collar. He looked at her and then back down at the dog. "Or, maybe it has a chip inside…."

"Could be a possibility."

"I'll have to check this guy into the vet tomorrow…." He scratched the dog from under its mouth and smiled as it warmed up against his touch. "You must be hungry, huh, boy?"

Much to Tsunade's surprise, the dog barked back as if it completely understood what Kakashi had just said.

Kakashi stood back up on his feet and began to clap his hands to lure the dog into the kitchen. "Come on, boy. C'mere. Come on!" The dog eagerly followed him to the stash of food, despite being frightened of him poaching him off from the streets earlier on. It's either his fright was eased by them or he was desperately hungry.

Tsunade followed them into the kitchen and appreciated the sight of Kakashi interacting the mongrel, especially with him continually giving the dog a continual sense of comfort as it began to drink the bowl of water he dished in front of him.

"What do you think he'll eat?" she asked, stepping to his side.

"I'm not entirely sure…." He hummed in contemplation, gazing back at her in hopes she could come up with something. "I haven't been to the supermarket for quite some time." He opened the fridge and pulled out a pack of pork meat. "I mean… this is alright, right?"

"Good enough." She shrugged. "Just make sure when you cook it, don't add much seasonings. And _don't_ add any nutmeg or garlic powder or any of the sort."

"Why not?" Not that he would, but he was curious as to why she seemed to stern when she said the last sentence.

"Because they are highly toxic when they are ingested by a dog, Kakashi." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh…."

"Yeah. That's why."

"Cool…. Well, I'll cook this up for the little guy and I'll also make us something to eat for dinner, as well."

"Are you sure? I can lend a hand, if you'd like."

"No, it's fine. You're a guest, Tsunade." He smiled. "Just keep the dog occupied."

Tsunade knelt down and started to stroke its head. "We really need to come up with a name for him. Calling it 'dog' isn't exactly a catchy name."

He crossed his arms and hummed. "I-um… I can't think of one. Why won't you name him?"

Her eyes softened as she continued to run her fingers through its tan fur. "Akisame…." she whispered warmly as her lips curled up into a keen smile as the dog – now dubbed as Akisame – nuzzled its nose into her neck.

"I like that…." He agreed softly. "Autumn rain, huh? It's very fitting." He bent down and ruffled its head and chuckled as it looked up at him, smiling almost. "I wonder who would have left him there outside. I mean, he's a big dog, it's not like you can just forget about him."

"Perhaps he was intentionally abandoned…."

"That's too harsh," he huffed, now kneeling down beside her so he could keep patting Akisame. As they aimlessly brushed their hands through its thick fur, they paused when the warmth of their hands overlapped with one another, but they remained quiet. Tsunade was sleek enough to slip her hand from his hand and pretended nothing had happened, whereas Kakashi's had remained frozen on the same spot.

Akisame whined at him, prompting him to continue to pet him.

Kakashi laughed. "You're quite demanding, Akisame."

"Have you ever had dogs before?" Tsunade asked, watching the duo practically kick her to the curb when Akisame decided to snuggle up against Kakashi.

"Y-Yeah. We had a pack of dogs, actually. But when we moved to a new house, we decided to give them up for adoption. With my mother and father's workload, we couldn't sustain having 6 dogs. I mean, I wanted to keep all of them because they were my bestfriends out of school, but I didn't want to choose between them."

"That explains why Akisame is quite attached to you, then; you're basically part-dog." She lightly joked as she stretched her arm out to stroke the dog for the last time. "Change of plans – I'll cook, and you'll keep an eye on the dog."

"Eh? B-But…"

"You're basically glued onto the floor with him. Don't worry about it, alright?" She stood up and went to the sink to wash her hands. "Besides, I really need to even the score between us. I always find myself in your debt somehow."

Kakashi gave a sheepish grin. "I'm not really keeping score here, Tsunade."

"I know, but I do. I don't like owing people favours because it can bite me in the ass later."

Kakashi's smile had faded. "Y-You k-know…. I'm not that type of person, right?"

She gave a faint smile. "I know you're not…" she softly spoke. "You're very sweet, Kakashi. But just let me do this one, alright?"

He relented and nodded. "I-If you insist…"

* * *

Night time came and the downpour – as Kakashi had expected – worsened over time. The soft pitter-patter against the glass pane had now become harder and louder like pebbles thrumming against the window.

Kakashi had lit the fire by the time Tsunade had come down the stairs from the bathroom. She leaned against the wall that was adjacent from where Kakashi was and smiled as he readied her place for the night. Judging from their first encounter, she wouldn't have thought that Kakashi would have this kind of side to him – compassionate, protectiveness and gentleness. She especially didn't think that they would be pinned in this kind of predicament.

"Hey," she whispered when he finally took notice of her presence.

He smirked back. "Hey."

Akisame trotted into the warm living room and curled up next to one of the couches, content from being stuffed with the food Tsunade prepared for him.

"There's a blanket and some pillows for you. If you need anything else just tell me."

"Thank you, Kakashi…" She placed her hand on his chest as he was about to walk past her and gazed up into his eyes. "And thank you for stomaching what I cooked for us. It wasn't even close to a one-star rating, I know."

Kakashi scoffed back. "Please. It was _very_ nice. I would eat it again…" Tsunade was quick to pick up his expression of nearly gagging when he said that last sentence.

"Well, there's still some leftover; you can have that tomorrow for breakfast, then."

She swore his face turned green. "Uhuh.. Well, I call dibs. Breakfast is going to be _soo_ great tomorrow." Another gag.

She laughed. "I'm just messing with you. I've already thrown it out."

"Oh." A sudden rush of relief came over him.

"But thank you for _trying_ to eat it. I'm sorry I didn't confess that I'm not the best cook."

He chuckled out of relief that she wasn't offended by his lack of praise. He had become too acquainted with her mean streak, and he certainly doesn't want to go back on that path again. "Well…" he cleared his throat. "Goodnight, Sen—"

A sudden raise of her eyebrow made him stop and rethink things.

 _"—Tsunade…"_

"Goodnight, Kakashi…"

He demurely looked at her and eased a small smile. Tsunade sheepishly reciprocated partly due to still being flustered by the events that have chained them together.

"I-I've already ironed your clothes, by the way. It's in the cabinet in the bathroom." Again, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. He also took a step back from her to regain a _safer_ distance.

"Oh," she almost looked shocked. "T-Thank you…"

"And _please_ don't add this to your little mental book of favours. We're _even_."

"Right…" Her eyes darted from one place to another apart from _him._ She was clearly unnerved about things being _uneven_ on her end. She bit the bottom her lip as she contemplated how she could compensate for his deed. "I can –"

"You can _nothing_ , Tsunade." Kakashi was quick to say, placing his hand on her shoulder, stepping closer again. "We are _even._ And things are going to be the way they were tomorrow."

"I'm just not comfortable with _owing_ people. Trust me, it never ends well with me."

"Well, I'm not _'People'_ ; you don't owe me anything nor will I use this against you. It's a trivial favour, so don't think much of it." He stooped down a little to directly meet her averting eyes. Onyx met honey. " _Trust_ me."

It may have been brief but Kakashi saw Tsunade's face pale. It looked like she was thrown into a vortex and was reliving a scenario again. She gazed back at him, agaped.

He leaned in closer and looked deeper into her eyes, as if he was searching for the truth within the golden pools that clouded her eyes. "What's wrong, Tsunade?" he asked softly with a forlorn expression as his hand subconsciously reached up and cupped her cheek.

She let out a shaky sigh as she shook her head. "It's… nothing."

"Are you sure?" He was closer now, just a mere breadth's away.

"Yes…" She put her hand over his hand, stopping his thumb from running circles on her cheek. But her shoulders sagged when she looked up at him without the same conviction her eyes had always exuded. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't be…" she withdrew from him.

Kakashi, upon realising what he had just done, reddened profusely in embarrassment. He covered his face in hopes she wouldn't catch his flustered state. But as always, she caught him in the act. "I-I didn't mean to…." his voice trailed off when his subconscious picked up on his blatant lie. He had meant to touch her in that manner. He just didn't want to admit it.

"No, Kakashi, it's fine. I shouldn't have—"

A sudden vibration in his back pocket caused him to jump back from Tsunade. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and hastily answered it. "It's Shizune," he revealed.

Tsunade crossed her arms and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, nodding understandably. "Well, it's time that I turn in, anyways." she gestured to the couch behind her.

Kakashi gave her one last smile before he hurried up the stairs. "No, no. Things are fine on my end. How about you? Did your region experience a flood?" When he reached at the top of the stairs, he looked back down where he could see Tsunade unfolding the piece of blanket he provided. He sighed. He had wanted to talk to her more.

" _Kakashi?"_

He flinched and looked back at his phone, remembering that he had a call. "Yeah. I'm here."

Tsunade tucked herself into her pseudo-bed and checked her messages on her phone. As always, her brother was insistent on keeping tabs on her well-being while Orochimaru was trying to be sly about caring for her. She laughed. Orochimaru wasn't one to display emotions and so would be unnecessarily awkward about it. But she supposed that she should be flattered that he would brave through his social comfort zone and actually ask about her well-being.

As she typed her response back to her raven friend, Akisame cautiously approached her before he jumped onto the other end of the couch, forcing Tsunade to shift her feet back so he could tuck himself in.

She shrugged and sunk down into the couch, watching the small ember flames flickering in the fireplace. After a while, she couldn't help but raise her gaze up to the stairs as she bit her lower lip. She knew that what he has done for her was trivial, but the weight of someone asking to trust them was heavier than he could ever fathom.

She had trusted Jiraiya just the same when he said those words to her. And he betrayed her before she could even comprehend what had happened.

What chance was there that he wouldn't tell his friends this? That he wouldn't misconstrue this to make him look like a jock and her a cheap conquest he completed?

She shook her head. Kakashi wasn't like that. At least, she doesn't think he is.

She touched her cheek, still feeling the sensation of his warm hand on her skin. It prickled with familiarity but at the same time with a sense of the unknown lingering behind.

" _And you let him."_

She remembered Rin's bitter words, knowing well that the girl was right. She does let Kakashi break down her walls and touch her without the same ramifications as Jiraiya has. She _consciously_ allows him – a _junior_ of hers – touch her in unethical ways, given their current dynamic. She sat up on the couch and contemplated for while before she mustered up the courage to walk out from the living room.

The moment she looked up the flight her stairs, she saw that he was still standing at the top, staring right into the living room – right _at_ her. They reached a stalement for a second but they simultaneously broke their connection by pushing themselves to different directions – Kakashi hurried to his room and Tsunade pretended that she had wanted to go to the toilet.

* * *

When morning came, Kakashi had already prepared breakfast and put Akisame into the backyard of their garden for the mean time. They both hurried to get ready, so they could finally free themselves from the shackles of awkwardness. Thankfully, since they lived in the city, the drainage system was more than adequate enough to have remove the excess water from the roads overnight.

Kakashi allowed for Tsunade to leave the house first so she could – _preferably_ – get on a separate train from him. But the best they could do to reinstate their status as Student and Teacher was to sit in different carriages on the _same_ train.

When they reached the school premises, Kakashi took his time in exchanging his shoes for the in-school pair while Tsunade pretended to be occupied in the staff room. Kakashi was first to enter the Homeroom and Tsunade was five minutes late. She purposely stayed in the staff room until the bell rang for the students, so she could ensure that she wouldn't cross paths with Kakashi.

She entered the classroom as nonchalantly as she could, allowing for her class to continue with their conversations.

Kakashi played his part by acting more oblivious than normal. But that didn't last long when Obito started flicking his head to get his attention. He drew out an exasperated sigh as he raised his head. _"What?"_ he snarled.

"Look at Senju-sama."

Kakashi raised a brow. "What about Tsuna—I mean— _Senju-sama_?"

Obito pulled a face for a moment before he brushed his little mishap away. "She's wearing the same clothes as yesterday!"

"Huh? How would you even know?"

He blushed. "Ummm…"

Kakashi continued to stare at him, judgementally.

"It-It's not like I check her out or anything. I-I mean.. she's yanno… hot and all. But-but-but I don't…"

"Just. Say it."

"She's wearing the _same_ clothes as _yesterday._ And she's late to Homeroom. Join the dots, Baka-Kakashi." He whispered.

"Uhh…."

"She did the dirty last night!"

Kakashi's face dropped. _"Huh?"_

"I mean, c'mon! She came in late and she's wearing the same clothes as the night before. That means that she didn't come back to her house last night. Since she's late, that means she probably did the walk of shame!" Obito proudly deduced, pretending to push up his phantom pair of glasses like an anime detective.

On the other hand, Kakashi's whitened expression remained prominent on his face. "Seriously… _what?_ "

Obito groaned loudly. "Je-sus! Senju-sama had _S-E-X_!" he vociferated throughout class. Not pin drop was heard after that. Had Obito been listening a few minutes prior, he would have heard Tsunade order the class to hush down. He would also have been more discrete in indignantly revealing his little _discovery._

Judging by Kakashi's widened eyes, Death was lurking right behind him – and he was afraid to turn around to meet its eyes.

"Obito Uchiha." Tsunade growled his _full_ name, implying damn well that he was fucked.

He turned his neck slightly and looked over his shoulder, seeing one very livid blonde glaring holes into his very existence. "I-I-I was only kidding, Senju-sama."

"Outside. Right now."

* * *

A/N: Not my best work, but I'm just trying to get my mojo back with writing. Hope this was _alright._ XD

xox


	15. Chapter 15

**Stir II**

Nervous stares lingered around Kakashi as he waited for Tsunade's final verdict with Obito's nonsensical episode. He doubt that either of them will get off from this lightly; judging by the look on her face, she was ready to kill them both with her piercing glare. Not that he could blame her – what Obito exclaimed was extremely scandalous and can hurt anyone's reputation, especially a young woman like her. Society has never been too keen with women who have been confident with their sexuality or have been honest with it.

Not only that – Obito wasn't correct, either. Sure, Kakashi could see how he could _think_ that but he knew the truth because he was _there_ with her. But he couldn't confess this truth because it will be more detrimental to Tsunade than it would be beneficial.

"So, is it true?" Asuma asked, taking Obito's seat. He had an unnerving grin that Kakashi could tell from a mile away. He is such a boy, Kakashi internally sighed. Of course his ears would be perked with heightened interest when it came with anything to do with sex.

Kakashi shrugged. "Obito suddenly blurted it out loud. There's no concrete proof."

"Yeah, true, but look at it this way – she's in her clothes from yesterday and is late. Isn't that enough evidence?"

"That's exactly what Obito said." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "But still, that isn't _concrete_ evidence. There was a flood yesterday maybe she got caught up in that, _hence_ the repeat of clothes. It doesn't have to be related to sex, you know."

Asuma's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're quite insistent that she didn't do _it,"_ he said slowly, gaining a scoff from Kakashi. "It's either you're still under the influence that teachers have no lives, or –" He gasped back and almost fell of the chair. _"You-!"_

Kakashi's eyes became wider than a pair of saucers as his heartbeat fastened akin to a starved cheetah sprinting to catch its prey. Did he see past his façade? Did he deduce that he knew more than he was letting on? Oh, shit.

Before Asuma could say anything, Kakashi leaped out off his chair and tackled him to the ground, promptly covering his mouth shut. Everyone in the classroom flinched and looked at the duo who were rolling on the floor, fighting for dominance. The winner was concluded when Asuma bit into Kakashi's hand.

Kakashi let out a yelp and released his clutches around Asuma. "You didn't have to bite me!"

"Well, you didn't have to _gag_ me with your hand!"

"Guys, what are you doing?!" Kurenai finally asked, rising from her chair. "Quit horsing around before Senju-sama gets back and rips into you guys, too! Especially you, Kakashi. She doesn't look happy with you, either."

Asuma distanced himself from Kakashi and had his hands up as a sign of forfeit. "S-Sorry. I guess I was just not thinking straight. Sorry for acting _suspicious._ "

Kakashi pulled a face. "W-What?"

"I'm watching you, dude." Asuma warned as he walked back to his seat.

"S-Seriously….?"

" _Sit down, all of you!"_ Tsunade firmly ordered upon tearing the door open in her wake. Obito nervously teetered back into the classroom, walking as if he had just lost all of his pride and dignity –his eyes failed to meet anyone else's and his signature grin was wiped right off.

Kakashi looked at him and then up at the furious blonde, gaining the same cold glare from her. "C-Can we talk outside…. Senju-sama?" he asked, quietly pleading for her to listen to him.

Tsunade was quiet for a second, as if she was contemplating on talking to him, but she took the register and looked at him disapprovingly. "Last warning, Kakashi-san. Sit down. I will _not_ ask again." Her eyes tracked his movements with pinpoint precision until he was sat down. She then cleared her throat and started the register.

* * *

"Obito! Dude, wait!" Kakashi called as he rushed down the hall to catch up with his raven friend. He grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him round to force him into giving him his attention. "What happened with Senju-sama? Why is she still pissed?"

"I honestly don't know! I told her what we talked about – it was really awkward, by the way – and she still thinks that _you_ had something to do with it. But when I tried to clear things up, she went back into class." He sighed. "I've never seen anybody become that angry, you know. And it's a trivial thing – a _rumour_ that I stupidly said! I don't get why she's so angry. Hopefully she cools down by next period, 'cus we have her next."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and shook his head. He hoped so, too. That way he could clear things up with her during lunch.

"Anyways, what is it that I hear about you and Shizune?" Obito nudged him at his arm with a sly look. "Are you two _official,_ now?"

Kakashi crossed his hands behind his head and hummed. "I think so…." He mumbled. "We did kiss, so –"

"You dog!"

"Dog? What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's a saying! You acted on your instincts and finally kissed Shizune – you _dog_!" He said again. This time, the senior students who passed them by gave them both disapproving looks. Obito didn't sem to mind – or he wasn't perceptive enough to pick up on the disgusted looks they were garnering. "So… did it escalate from _kissing?"_

"Of course not! Shizune is not like _that."_

"Was it good?" Obito prodded further.

Kakashi grew red before saying, "Y-Yeah….. I guess."

" _You dog!"_

"Stop calling me a dog!" He finally hissed, flushing redder than normal. "I don't want it to seem like I'm cheapening Shizune." He pocketed hands and walked up the stairs, head down low. "I really like her, you know?"

"Have you told Rin?"

"Not yet…" He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at Obito. "Do you think we'll be back to the way we were? You know, just us being… _us?_ "

Obito looked down, forlorn. He also didn't know the definitive answer to that. "I don't know," he whispered, raising his head, "but you guys _need_ to talk, regardless. You know about her feelings, so you should express yours. It may not be what she wants, Kakashi, but at least you won't lead her on anymore."

"L-Lead her on?" Kakashi repeated, baffled. "When have I led her on?"

"Let's not do this now. We have class and I don't want to be late." Obito moved to overtake Kakashi, but he was tugged back when Kakashi grabbed him by his sleeve. "Dude… We'll talk about this later."

"Ju-Just give me a situation where I led her on."

"Ok-Okay. Remember during Summer when you invited her with us, making her think that _you_ – personally – wanted her there? But, it turned out that you only invited her there so there would be a distraction between Shizune and Genma, because you _knew_ Genma liked Shizune? Do you remember that? You _crushed_ her feelings, idiot."

"I-I didn't invite her for that reason…."

Obito snorted back. "Sure, you didn't. It's not like we found you and Shizune _alone_ under the waterfalls the next day, practically flirting each other's clothes off." He paused and licked his dried lips. "Look, just clear things up with Rin, okay? I'm tired being the shoulder she cries on before she goes chasing you again."

"Obito, I invited her there for _you._ " Kakashi said quietly. "I know you love, Rin. So, I thought that I could set you up together."

"I didn't ask you any favours, Kakashi. From now on, don't do anything, okay? Thanks for the little wingman thing you tried to do – you failed, by the way – but it only pushed her towards her and further from me."

"Look, I'm sorry –"

"What are you two boys still doing out here in the corridor, huh?" Orochimaru snarled, dawning from behind them.

Sharp, cold shivers went down their spines, making their legs work before their minds could process what was going on. They ran down the corridor without looking back to see those cold serpentine eyes.

" _We're sorry, Orochimaru-sama!"_

* * *

"I'm glad we could talk…" Kakashi finally said, when they were alone on top of the rooftops.

Rin held her arm uncomfortably as she eased a small faux smile. "Me, too…"

"I'm guessing you have already heard, then. About Shizune and I."

She nodded. "I have."

"Rin…"

"It's fine, Kakashi. You don't have to explain anything to me. It's not like I own you or anything. I was the one who drove us apart, with my stupid concoction of theories about you and Senju-sama and with my disapproval of Shizune." She took a breath and looked up to meet his softened charcoal eyes. "Can we just be friends again, Kakashi?"

"We've always been friends, Rin." He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder like he always did. "But you're not nothing to me. You're like my family. I love you so much, Rin, but not in that way. I just can't force myself to see you in that way."

Again, she sulkily nodded. "I-I understand…"

"But… you are precious to me." His hand clutched at her shoulder tighter. "Do you understand, Rin?"

She wiped her incoming tears. "I-I do."

"Good." His spare hand came up and behind her head as he slowly pulled her in for an embrace.

"I'll try…" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"I'll try to get over you, Kakashi. I'll try to be okay with this…" Her arms enveloped over his form as she buried her face against his chest. "Just give me time."

He stroked her head as he kept her body close to his. "Take as much time as you need, Rin. I'll be here for you, don't worry. I'm just glad that we're okay again." He drew back slightly so he could see the honesty in her eyes. "We are okay, right?"

The brunette nodded almost immediately. "Y-Yeah."

Kakashi smiled. "Thank you, Rin."

"I-I've got to go and talk to Guy-sensei before our second period. Is-Is it okay if I go down first?" she asked, her voice sweet and unencumbered with bitterness and hate. "I've just got some questions to ask him about our upcoming volleyball tournament."

"Oh! I heard you made Captain!" Kakashi chimed, grinning. "Congratulations. I heard that every girl from the group signed up for that position. Good job showing them up and making people see who's the real boss, huh?"

He was trying to derail her attention from their tensed moment, she knew. She knew yet she decided to humour him, so she wouldn't arouse further concern from him. "Thanks… Anyways, I've got to run. I'll see you at lunch?"

"See you at lunch," he confirmed.

She smiled and hurried down the steps, letting Kakashi watch her as she walked away. When she was out of sight, she let out a huff as she slammed herself against the wall. Her ability to lie and deceive even the likes of Kakashi nerved her. She did it so flawlessly that he bought all of it. She clenched at her shirt and felt her heart raging like an animal in a cage. Could he not hear her heart run rampant when he embraced her? Or did he just ignore it?

It didn't matter. All that matters is that she convinced Kakashi that she was alright, and that their friendship was reinstated. She'll be okay in due time, she tried to tell herself. She can let go of Kakashi and find somebody else. Somebody who will love her as much as she loved him.. right?

She wasn't as fine as she said she was, nor was she willing to let go of him just yet. But she didn't want to ruin it with Kakashi anymore. She just has to be patient.

* * *

After their 15 minute recess ended, Kakashi was forced to go back into the science corridor for his biology class. Normally, he wouldn't mind this lesson – it was simple and he was sat next to the window – but today was different. Tsunade was pissed, and he reckoned that she was still pissed. She didn't look like the type who would let things slide so easily.

As soon as he entered the classroom, their eyes met. She was behind her desk, marking papers whilst she waited for the rest of the class to come in. That was normal and all, but what wasn't normal was that nobody else was in the classroom yet. Kakashi checked his watch and realised that his time was 5 minutes earlier than the school's clock.

"Can I help you, Kakashi-san?" she asked, dropping her pen on the paper she was marking. "Your break doesn't end until quarter past."

"I-I thought that it was quarter past." He flicked his watch to show her that he wasn't just using this as an excuse to see her out of class hours. But now that he was here, maybe he could just proceed to clear things up with her? Besides, they were all alone. "Senju-sama, what happened this morning, I swear, wasn't what you thought it was."

"Obito has already told me," she replied almost immediately.

"Then you know that we-we weren't spreading rumours of you or your sexuality. It was just an observation Obito eagerly wanted to express – a tad bit too loud, for my taste." He rubbed the back of his neck as he finished his sentence, hoping it would ease the blonde from her stern expression.

"Because of that observation your friend eagerly had to say in the middle of Homeroom, I am being put on strict supervision from the Headmaster. Yeah, he saw me reprimanding Obito this morning and asked me to log the incident. He concluded that the problem was me, saying that I am too feminine, therefore, a potential distraction to teenagers like yourself."

"Senju-sama –"

"The fact that this little chit-chat – as Obito puts it – is casual –"

Kakashi palmed his face. That idiot.

"—concerns me. How casual is it for you to discuss about me?"

"S-Senju-sama, it r-really isn't that—"

"N-No, I'm curious, Kakashi-san." She stood up from her chair and neared him, causing for him to stumble backwards and over a desk. "What, did you twist the story of yesterday with your pals? Concocted another version for you guys to just joke around during recess?"

"I-It's not like that –"

"Then what is it like?!" She crossed pushed her bangs back and huffed. "What was I thinking trusting a teenager pumped up with hormones to keep quiet about what happened? I mean, you're a popular guy, you must have duties to keep up your popularity, right?"

"Senju-sama, I'm telling you, it's not like that!"

"God, this is like that time with Jiraiya when he –" her eyes widened horrifically when she realised what she had just said. The disgust was evident on her face, as if she had just swallowed a bitter pill of regrets.

"W-What is it?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a breather to calm herself. "Forget I said anything."

He looked away, knowing well that it wasn't his right to pry for more intimate information about her. "Alright. But just know that I never divulged in the times we were together to anyone. I would never do that to you. I respect you, Senju-sama… and in a weird way, I care about you." He dared himself to look at the expression on her face, but he kept his eyes fixated on the board behind her. "I'm overstepping again. Sorry."

The anger in her eyes dimmed as the tension welling up in her shoulders laxed. "…Okay." She murmured, fierce features softening. "I trust you."

He staggered back once more. "Y-You do? I expected more resistance from you…"

"You saved me without even properly knowing me. You have remained candid with me thus far, so I'll continue taking your word until I am proven wrong. But be warned, Kakashi-san, if I'm made to look like a fool for trusting you, there will be _big_ repercussions, understand?"

"T-Thank you," he sheepishly said, trying his best to overlook her threat. "A-And I'm sorry about the Headmaster. H-He didn't have the right to insinuate that the problem is your sexuality. You have kept up with the dress code and –"

"I don't need you to defend me on this one, Kakashi-san."

"But he's being an unreasonable misogynist! Honestly didn't think Sarutobi-sama was that kind of person…"

He noticed that Tsunade didn't disagree with him.

"It's quarter past. Why won't you take a seat, Kakashi-san. We can wait for the rest of the class to come in."

* * *

The most tedious part of the day came – lunchtime. That was when all of the years in highschool got their breaks at the same time; that meant that the canteen was a hectic area to be in if you were late for lunch. But for Kakashi, the most exasperating aspect of having shared lunch with all of the other years was the suffocating attention he received.

He had grown to understand that people found him appealing – oddly enough, since he was such a dork, and social hierarchy in school indicated that dorks were the _least_ attractive – but he wasn't exactly comfortably with the constant leering from girls and the occasional boys along the hallway, especially when those came from the higher-ups. He had been in some heated confrontations with the higher-ups because their girlfriend looked his way or flirted with him.

Today was no different. He received the expected glared from his seniors and the lovable gazes from the rest. He ruffled his grey hair and decided to bear with it, with his head down.

"Kakashi!"

His arm was snagged, causing for him to stop. "Shizune!" he smiled when he realised that he wasn't being harassed by another stranger.

"Hey. I haven't talked to you all day. You seemed to have had your hands full, especially with this morning's events. Did you get in trouble with Senju-sama?"

He shook his head, much to her surprise. "She let you go? Wow. With what happened to Obito, I thought we were going to re-schedule our date." She tugged his arm closer until it was embedded in her chest, making it clear that she was making a move with him. This move subsequently earned her _plenty_ of disapproving looks from jealous onlookers, who had started forming the pieces together.

He laughed, trying to keep his cool. "No, no. Our date is still on. But can we have it at a later time?"

"Sure, but why?"

"It's just…. I accepted the modelling gig Hanare-san invited me to. Apparently, Miss Terumi wants to me see personally."

"Oh…."

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

"Are you sure?" His eyebrows knitted together with worry. "It's just, I think this is a good way to make quick cash. God knows I need it right now. But I'll make sure that I'm on time for our date. It's Friday night anyways, the city will be up until 11 pm. That will give us plenty of time to spend time together." He withdrew his arm from her clutches before he wrapped it around her waist. "I'm excited for tonight, aren't you?"

If her move earlier didn't make the other students furious, Kakashi's affection for her made them want to bring Hell just for Shizune.

"Of course, I am!" she blushed, ignoring the blatant negativity enshrouding around her. "That goes without saying, Kakashi. Why won't you meet at my dad's bakery? I promised I would be helping out for the afternoon."

"Sure!"

"Geez, get a room, you two!" Obito bellowed when they entered the canteen.

"Stupid. Pipe down." Asuma growled, punching the raven-haired back down on his seat. "The last time you had loose lips, you were nearly killed."

"Well, I've gotta head to my table." Shizune tiptoed to kiss him on his cheek.

"Why won't you guys just sit with us?"

Everyone at the table were beyond baffled when they realised that the proposition came straight from Rin's mouth. Kakashi was taken aback for a moment, but he gave her a small nod of appreciation. "Yeah. The more the merrier," he added.

"Are you guys sure that I won't be interrupting?" Shizune asked the entire group. "I don't want to…"

"Just come join us!" Asuma invited. "Bring your girlfriends, too."

"T-Thanks, guys!" She rushed over to her squad, who were sat at the other end of the canteen.

"That was nice of you, guys." Kakashi said, taking his normal seat beside Obito.

"Geez, Rin, what the hell are you doing?" Asuma suddenly whined.

" _HUH?"_ The rest of the group said out loud.

" _You_ also invited her," Kurenai pointed out.

"I was _pressured_ to be nice. I didn't actually mean it. Shizune is _fine_ but the rest of her friends are catty bitches. Kurenai, do you remember when they spread the rumour that you had some sidepiece in college, causing us to have this _big_ fight."

"I do…" she growled. " _That's_ why I didn't invite her friends over like a lunatic."

Asuma buried his face in his hands. "Ugh. I'm so stupid."

"I'm not disputing with you."

"I'm sure this will be fine," Rin tried to mediate the situation.

"Yeah. I'm sure they're better than the last time we…. had human contact with them." Kakashi tried to agree.

"You know, you have been acting very suspicious since this morning. Don't think that I have forgotten about _this morning._ " Asuma quietly said. "We saw them _yesterday_ and they have not gotten _better_! They are not like Shizune – who is _normal –_ they are the monster spawn of Pacebook and Fumblr!"

"Guys, shush, they're coming!" Obito quickly said, stuffing his mouth with his food so he wouldn't say anything stupid.

Before Shizune could take a seat beside her new beau, her friends were quick to bounce all over Kakashi's personally space. "So, are you and our Shizune official?! Like Pacebook status-official?!" they screeched.

Kakashi winced. "I-I-I guess…?"

They screamed louder. "Oh, god! _Really?!_ "

"You guys," Shizune tried to say.

"Ugh. You. Two. Are so cute! GBFL, amirite, guys?" One of the members of Shizune's group continued.

"So truuuueeeeeee!" The other hollered.

"BF –what?"

"Girlfriend-Boyfriend-Forever-Life, duuuhhhh!"

Kurenai leaned over to Asuma's ear. "If you love me, get us out of here. Now."

"On it." He stood up, brashly. "I'm sorry, but Kurenai and I have to leave."

"Why?" Kakashi asked.

"I-I-I….." He looked at Kurenai who had put her faith in him to make up a white lie for their escape. "I'm having stomach problems, and I can only do this with the support from my beloved girlfriend."

Everyone grimaced at his revelation, including Kurenai.

"What? I just had an egg sandwich."

"Wait, you aren't joking?!"

"Why would he be joking?" Kakashi raised a brow.

"No-No reason at all…" Kurenai nervously said, already pushing Asuma towards the doors of the canteen. "Come on, babe, let's deal with your stomach problem."

When the couple were out of the group's sight, Shizune's friends scoffed. " _They_ are not GBFL material."

Both Obito and Rin slapped themselves on their faces.

* * *

"I'll see you around six, alright?" Kakashi told Shizune at the end of school as they walked out of the school premises together.

"Okay. And listen, I'm sorry about my friends. I know they went a little overboard."

"A _little_?"

Shizune chuckled. "A _lot."_

"It's fine. I get it they're…. a different entity from us."

"Hey!" She playfully slapped him on his bicep. "I know that they're full of internet memes and all, but they are good people."

"If you're friends with them, then I'm sure they are. It's just my group and your group just don't meld well, so…"

"I know. We won't hang out during dinner. I think it's for the best, too."

"You're not a little bit offended?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because of what I just said…"

"No. Of course not. You don't have to like all aspects of my life, just like I don't have to like all aspects of your life. As long as we respect that difference, I don't think we'll have any problems."

"You're amazing," he said, smitten.

Just as he was about to lean down to kiss her on the lips, a sudden gust of debris ricocheted at their direction when an unknown vehicle took an abrupt stop right in front of the school gates.

"What the hell –" Kakashi's breath was taken aback when a conspicuous woman stepped out from the red sportscar. She was clad in a long, black leather coat and patent knee-high boots. The identity of her eyes remained hidden behind her oversized designer shades, but her long curls that looked like fiery auburn strands under the sun were loose – and mesmerising.

The rest of the students stopped and lingered for a moment but were too intimidated by her to approach her. Instead, they took pictures of the model in all angles before running back into the school premises to tell their friends.

"Ah, Kakashi-kun," she spoke, her red-tinted lips curling up.

"D-D-Do I know you?"

"Mei Terumi. I had one of my employees hire you yesterday." She extended her hand out. "We have a meeting today, correct?"

Kakashi stepped closer to shake her hand. "Y-Yes. But I didn't think that you would be…"

"I was just in the neighbourhood, so I thought what the hell."

"R-Right…" Because that's what people would normally think, Kakashi sarcastically finished in his mind.

"Come. I'll drive us to the studio." She said, opening the door to her car.

"O-Oh…" Kakashi stammered.

"Your school is too noisy for my taste," she finally said, looking at the unwanted attention she harvested within the minute she had parked her car.

"Go," Shizune prompted him. "I'll meet you at six."

"O-Okay…"

Mei unexpectedly walked over to Shizune and grabbed her face by her chin. "She's cute, but she's no model. Such a shame, we are looking for more female models." She poked at Shizune's chubby cheeks. "Too much fat. What a waste, she could have been a looker had she been a size 2." She looked at Kakashi. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Uh… yeah, yeah, she is." He answered.

"Hm…" Shizune saw her eyes crease up suspiciously behind the shades of her glasses. "You're a lucky girl, cutie."

"What is with this commotion? Aren't you all supposed to be going home?!"

The snapping and flashes of photos from the students' smartphones stopped, and everyone turned to the teacher who had come through the gates to bring a halt to the pandemonium raised at the front of the school.

Mei's stoic face turned into delight when she saw her former blonde co-worker standing a few feet from her. "Tsu-chan!" she practically swooned, throwing her arms around the curvy blonde, much to everyone's surprise. "Look at you!" She inspected her from head to toe but was particularly keen on her bosom-area. "Well, you're not exactly like you were before but you've still got it! You're even pulling off this abysmal outfit!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her. "It's just a pantsuit."

"Yeah but buttoning your blouse all the way up is not a cute look." Mei crinkled her nose as she gave a shake of her head. "Your babies are being punished for no reason! Pop them out and flaunt them like you mean it."

"I'm a _teacher_ here, Mei. Not some sort of stripper."

"Ah… so you are." Another crinkle of the nose. "Can't believe you left modelling for this."

" _This_ is school property and you're causing a commotion. Please leave." Orochimaru spoke, approaching the duo. "We can't have this attention in front of the school gates."

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Orochimaru." Mei lowered her shades and winked. "But I guess you're right, this isn't the right place to have a reunion." She cupped Tsunade's face and drew close to her, gaining an uproar from the students. "I'm having a little party in my place that you should come to. I'll text you the details. It'll be like the old days." She gazed at the blonde's nude lips and smirked. "I've missed you."

"I'll think about it if you leave," Tsunade huffed, stepping away from her.

"I was leaving, anyways." She looked back at Orochimaru. "You should come, too."

The clicks of shutters from _cameras_ of the paparazzi now followed her as she walked over to her car. "Come on, Kakashi-kun. I need to fill you in."

Kakashi reluctantly joined her in her car.

* * *

Kakashi sank down on the nearest leather couch, exhausted. He didn't think that he would be asked to do so many things _today._ He had his measurements done, headshots done, had to go through some practices with angles in front of the camera. He even had to perform some stunts for his little shoot. Man, he misjudged modelling. He thought that he would just be standing on a spot, posing like those internet-famous models. But, no. Ever since he signed that contract, agreeing that he was going to model for Mei's company, he had already been given a premium gym membership, where he will receive a diet plan and a personal trainer.

He leaned his head back against the wall and covered his eyes. Since his phone was in Mei's dressing room, he hasn't been able to look at the time nor has he been able to talk to Shizune. Instead, he decided to cower next to the water fountain, so he could get a piece of mind.

"Kakashi~!" A sing-song voice made his ears perk up. "You made it! I didn't think that you would actually accept the offer."

"Hanare-san," he greeted politely.

"Just Hanare. C'mon! We're gonna be working a lot from now on; you don't have to be so formal with me." She sat beside him and leaned close to him. "So, how has it been so far?"

" _Busy."_ He groaned out loud, relieved that he could finally express his thoughts out loud.

"Yeah, it's always like that on your first day. But it gets better, especially when Mei likes you. And from the looks of it, you're going to become her favourite male model if you keep working hard. She really likes your aesthetic and how you carry yourself."

"R-Really?!" Kakashi blushed, oddly flattered. "Mei Terumi thinks that?"

"Everyone in this building think you have the potential!" She placed her hand on his thigh. "And I do, too."

He gulped when her hand began to stroke his leg, going in too close inwards. "H-Hanare…."

She laughed. "You're such a boy, Kakashi." Her hand withdrew, and she stood back up. "It was a test. Don't think too much of it. Now, come. We're doing final photos for the start of your portfolio."

"O-Okay!"

It had already been an hour past six.

* * *

Kakashi practically sprinted his heart out into the centre of the city, where Shizune's father's bakery was located, picking up a bouquet of flowers on the way as a sign of his sincerest apology. He hadn't kept track of time – and before he knew it, it was already chiming to 9 o'clock.

By the time he had reached the bakery, the open sign was already dimmed and the lights in the building was already mellow. He tried to turn the doorknob, which, to his surprise, twisted open. "Shizune?" he called, stepping into the bakery. "Sir Kato?"

He stopped at the counter and huffed. It would be best if he took his leave now before anybody assumed that he was a thief. Just as he was about to leave, Shizune appeared from the backroom – in a white uniform their bakers had to wear. "You're late…" she said, resting her hand on the counter.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think that they would be this extensive on the first day." He brought up the bouquet of flowers he had bought earlier on, and sheepishly handed it to her over the counter. "I will do better next time."

Shizune tugged a small smile as she took in the flowers into her arms. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. "You must be hungry from all that work you've done, huh…" she then observed after she heard a faint growl from Kakashi's stomach. She didn't seem to dwell on his tardiness.

"Is it obvious?"

"Come to the kitchen. I've just baked a fresh batch of our new line of Anpan." She led him to the kitchen by the hand, leaving the bouquet of flowers behind.

"I-Is your dad here?"

"He went home hours ago. Mother needed help at home, so he entrusted the bakery to me."

"Oh. So, we're all alone here."

"Pretty much." She sat him down on a wooden stool and brought him a fresh batch of golden buns that were brought straight out of the oven. "I haven't perfected the red bean paste so I'm sorry if it doesn't taste right. This is my first go."

Kakashi took an eager bite into the pastry, letting out a surprised gasp. "It's sweet! But not too sweet that it's revolting. The red bean paste is quite dry, but the taste is really good, Shizune."

"R-Really? You're not just saying that to make it up to me?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Shizune." He reached up to swipe the red paste off from her cheek. "You must have also worked hard today." He smiled, pulling her closer to him until she was slotted in between his legs. "Thank you for letting my behaviour slide today. I promise I won't stand you up again."

She placed her hands on his shoulders, lips pursed and cheeks stained red. You better not….. idiot."

"The city is still alive. Do you want to go to a barbeque joint?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. "There's one not far from here. We can talk there…"

"Okay," she grinned, leaning down to kiss Kakashi on his lips. "Let me just tidy up in the kitchen."


	16. Chapter 16

**The Reckoning**

Weeks had passed since Mei had caused a commotion within the school premises. A lot had transpired since then – students were preparing for the Winter Tournaments in their respective fields whilst simultaneously preparing for the Winter exams. Stress and tension were palpable within the halls and classrooms of the school, it was almost suffocating to be in the vicinity of the school.

Today was no different for Tsunade's biology class. She decided to hold a mock exam for the students, with the passing grade being 80% or above. There won't be any slackers in her class; if she could input all of her efforts in compiling test papers for her students and staying up all night to mark their papers, so she could hand their grades back the next day, then she _expected_ for her students to also give it their all. No _half-assed_ work will be tolerated from _anybody._

Her eyes darted at Kakashi at that thought. Ever since he's become a prominent member in Mei's company, his performance as a student has faltered, from scoring an average of 90% to a measly 70% within three weeks! A part of this decline could be due to his father's condition. Word has it that he's still not fit enough to be dismissed from the hospital.

Since Kakashi has a lot on his plate, and that there are designated visiting hours, he hasn't been able to see Sakumo a whole lot, which is probably why he has been more reserved. She could see it in his face – he was _stressed_ and agitated. A combination she hasn't seen from him before.

She looked at her watch. They had 5 minutes left. It was then that she heard a scraping of a chair. She raised her chin and saw that Kakashi was already approaching her desk, paper in hand. Without making much eye contact, he dropped the paper on the side of her desk, slinging his messenger bag as he walked out of the classroom.

Tsunade flicked through his paper, relieved that every question was filled in. She looked back at the time and decided that there was still ample time to apprehend Kakashi in the hall. She quickly followed him out of the room and stopped him before he could exit the science corridor. "Kakashi-san," she called urgently.

He turned on his heels and looked at her. "Is something the matter, Senju-sama? I didn't leave my test paper blank this time."

"It would be great if you could attend some of the revision sessions I am holding afterschool. Your grades have not been of satisfactory standards as of late, and I'd like to remedy that before the exams."

He looked interested. "When are these sessions?"

"Wednesday and Thursday."

He sharply inhaled. "Can't. I've got swim meets on Wednesday, and I've got a modelling gig on Thursday."

"Your grades are dropping, Kakashi-san. Surely you can take a break from your modelling gig."

"I can't."

"Missing one gig will not get you fired. You're a student, I'm sure Mei would understand."

"It's not that!" His hand clenched tighter around the strap of his bag. "I _need_ the money, Senju-sama. It's for my dad…" His lips quivered as he sorrowfully looked away from her direction. "He's still in hospital. We need to pay for his private room, the treatment he receives, and his medications. My mom can't handle all of the payments, so I promised that I would pitch in."

"Kakashi…"

"I know my grades have dropped drastically, Senju-sama. And I apologise. But you have to understand that _this_ is something that I must do. My dad has looked after me my entire life, it's my time to pay him back." He had a bitter-sweet expression on his face as he allowed her privy to his personal problem. For the first time, he looked at her. She saw nothing but pain and sorrow. "I tried on that test this time, I swear. But I'm not confident if it's at 80%. I-I know that you're really trying to help us out here, Senju-sama, and I want you to know that I am not disrespecting you by shitting –"

" _Language."_

"—I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "But you know what I mean. I am grateful for all of these preparations you're doing for us, this support you're setting up for us, despite it not being in your job description. You're the only teacher who's teaching during afterschool hours, without demanding for more pay! It's just…." His face softened. "You're just incredible, Senju-sama."

She smiled fondly, "Thank you for that. I was beginning to wonder if all of this was over-doing it a little bit."

"Obito got an A, Senju-sama. That never happens to that knucklehead. So, yeah, your efforts are not going to waste. I'm just sorry I can't be a part of it."

"Hey." Her hand came up to his bicep, keeping him from leaving. "Tell me when you're free, and I'll set up sessions for us."

"N-No. You don't have to do that. I don't want to impose. Y-You already have enough on your plate."

"Kakashi-san, I want to help you. Besides, you're my top student, I can't have you slacking when it matters. We'll just skim over the topics you're not entirely confident with and go over exam techniques. I'll help you in any way I can."

He chuckled in disbelief. "You'd do that for me? Thank you, Senju-sama…"

"So, when are you free?"

"Monday and Tuesday."

"Monday and Tuesday, it will be." She said with a nod.

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"See you then."

* * *

Anyone would think by now that the staff knew just how essential coffee was for the teachers. Every teacher needs at _least_ one cup of coffee every lesson. Considering that there are nearly 100 teachers within the premise, and that Leaf High is considered to be one of the most elite schools in the country, one would think that coffee would be in abundance. But to everybody's surprise, it was always in short supply. Even the exclusive stashes that were stored in subject department staffrooms seemingly dwindled away before anyone could blink.

"Damn it," Tsunade muttered when her cup was only half-full. She figured that she could run down to the nearest coffee shop but that was ten blocks away, and she didn't have the time nor the energy to torture herself to a marathon. Especially when she's wearing four-inched, thin-stilettoed heels.

She sat herself behind her desk with her pitiful coffee, marking the rest of the mock test papers she assigned her students that day. Since the coffee maker hasn't been refilled yet, she made sure that she rationed her share, so that she could at least caffeinate herself enough to get through the day. A night without any papers to mark would be a dream come true, really. Not a night has gone by that she hasn't picked up her red pen and read through countless amounts of paperwork, often struggling when it came to the scruffy penmanship from some of her students in the senior years.

As she hit her stride in her marking process, a Starbocks cup was propped next to her pile of finished paperwork, making her to look up to meet the kind Samaritan. Odd. She had expected to see Orochimaru's pale complexion and signature golden eyes. Instead, she met cerulean eyes and a fair complexion of a blond statured man. She hasn't seen him before in the general staffroom, she was sure. A man with such a striking appearance is a rare sight within the confines of her monotonous profession. Surely she would remember a man like him had she ran into him before. Or has sleep deprivation made her have amnesia?

"Do I know you?"

He smiled boyishly as he ruffled his hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself."

That ruled out the possibility of having amnesia.

"I'm Minato Namikaze. I am the athletics' coach here. We haven't met because I have been off these past few weeks. I had a bit of an injury while I was mountain climbing." He flashed another cheesy smile as he showed her his bandaged right hand. "Anyways, I just thought you needed a pick-me-up coffee. Orochimaru told me that you normally prefer a strong black coffee, but during stressful situations, you like a tall cup of cappuccino with extra chocolate on top."

She couldn't read the man. What was his motive in this?

"T-Thanks, but you didn't have to buy me coffee." Though she was _very_ grateful with the gesture.

He took the chair that was in front of her desk and placed it beside her. He sat down, with his arms resting on the head of the chair, and he leaned in closely to her. "The truth is I'm not good at making…. _memorable_ first impressions. Orochimaru and I were at Starbocks and I just decided to get you one for, yanno, this moment." He smirked at her, charmingly. "And I _really_ wanted to make a good first impression with you."

"A simple _'hi'_ would have worked on me," she said, smiling. "But this was wonderful of you. Thank you." She reached for her bag. "How much was it?"

"No, no, no. It's fine. Please. You don't have to pay."

She stopped, her hand already clutching her purse. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said in a more masculine tone, lacking the playful tone he asserted earlier on. "This is enough for me." His hand was already on top of hers.

A Knight and Shining Prince, she thought. He seemed to have a passive front, but she knew that he also had his moments of dominance. That smirk he posed with was filled with confidence, and the spark behind his eyes alluded to his intentions. He was more than what met her eyes, a fiery enigma camouflaged behind his meek façade. She was intrigued.

"The name is Tsunade Senju." She said, taking his hand for a handshake. "Thank you for the cup of coffee."

His thumb softly ran circles on her the back of her hand. "Not a problem." He turned her hand and smirked in delight. "Not married. Hm."

"Nope."

"So….. there's no one?" he asked to clarify.

With a shake of her head, his smile widened. He slipped his hand from hers and he cleared his throat. "Well, Tsunade-sensei, I hope to see you around." He took the folder of his paperwork and headed towards his own desk, four desks behind her. For a bold entrance, he had a sheepish exit.

Her lost of company seemed to be Orochimaru's cue to appear from her blind spot, feigning stoicness. "So, you met Minato Namizake."

"Mhm," she hummed, not taking her attention off from her work this time. "And you just set him up with me, didn't you."

Orochimaru crossed his arms and leaned against her desk. "And why would I do that?"

"You tell me. I'm also at a lost as to why you're meddling with my love life."

"You can't tell me that there's somebody else…" He paused when she didn't reply. "Wait, is there?"

"No, there isn't. Still, I'm not that pathetic and desperate for you to get a guy for me." She looked up at him. "Am I?" She let out an evident tone of uncertainty and shame – more than she thought she would portray.

He looked at her, appraising her features. "You don't look like it. I just thought I would do you a kind gesture; Minato seems like he has great character, and you haven't been in a serious relationship for two years now."

She evened her gaze with him. "With good reason. I had to look after myself for a while. I couldn't just force myself to _move_ on just for the sake of convenience."

"Of course not, you just had to spend meaningless nights with men you barely remember."

Her lips thinned. But since she knew that Orochimaru wasn't the type who could mince up his words into something more tasteful, even if he meant good in it, she let it slide. Just marginally let it slide. If he were to spout another nonsense of her leasance, she would not think twice of throwing the coffee in her mug at him. She would rather pour the searing hot coffee that Minato had just given her, but that was the only lifeline she has that will get her through the day.

"You make it sound like I spent every night prowling on men."

"You've had how many over these years?" He asked, dumbfounded as to what made her red in both fury and embarrassment. "What? Was that not appropriate to ask a close friend?"

"Dumbass," she muttered.

"I only know three people," he continued, oblivious. Painfully oblivious. By now he should know that her threats do not come verbally, but it was made with her eyes. And if he had looked directly into her hazel eyes, he would have known that she was ready to pierce him over a thousand times.

"And there have only been three," she clarified, counting one of them as Jiraiya. "No one else, Oro. Now, will you please get off the topic of me, and let's talk about you for a change, huh. How many women have _you_ been with?"

"Just women?" He said, smirking. "Ten."

"And with these women, you've had how many serious relationships?"

"None," he said nonchalantly. "We were just casual."

"Aren't you with everybody?"

"Anyone I choose to be with. I'm not looking for anyone nor do I want anyone as of this moment. You know I have always depended on myself. I'm not about to start depending on others now. At least not yet."

"Poetic," she scoffed.

Orochimaru cupped his chin and hummed. "This makes me a bigger _'slut'_ than you, doesn't it?"

"You said it. And we're not even counting _both_ genders."

He laughed, low and genuine. "It's great being casual with both genders. If you weren't so strung up, I would recommend it to you, but we both know how you are."

Tsunade brooded over her desk, no longer motivated to finish the task she had set herself to do before third period. "I'm not used to being _casual_ with people. I'm capable of doing it –"

"—But you've always wanted more." His golden eyes flickered with intrigue. "Was it like that with Jiraiya? Deep inside, did you want more with him?"

Tsunade stalled, pen in between her lips. The thought never eclipsed her mind. Her relationship with Jiraiya has never felt genuine nor did it hold much promise. They had their moments of being together, in the moment, in heat, but all of that disappeared when they finish injecting euphoria into each other.

She has never craved for things to change between her and Jiraiya. She was _content_ with having him on her speed dial when she needed to get off or when she couldn't stand the overwhelming sense of emptiness when she laid in an empty bed. She was _content_ with Jiraiya fucking other women, with her having to hear about it later.

Jiraiya was a bachelor at heart, always has been since before he was of age. He refused to commit, to be chained down by woman, claiming that it would be a waste to starve himself on one cuisine when there was a world filled with other women who could fuck better, who have bigger tits, who would allow him to fuck them in any twisted way he'd pleased, who are willing to put out more than the woman he currently has.

He was never _content._

"No…" she finally answered, shaking her head. "I can't commit to a man like him, even if he claims to be in love with me."

Orochimaru looked at her empathetically, clutching at her shoulder for support. "You're better off anyway."

She laughed sardonically. "I hope so. But I think your blond Adonis is above my league."

"Minato?" he looked at the spiky haired man who was conversing with other fellow teachers. "He's a good man, but he's not as perfect as your mental canvas has portrayed him out to be."

She snorted.

"You're very tensed, Tsuna. Why won't we go out and have a few drinks tonight? That has always been your antidote for stress."

"Can't we just do it at your apartment? That way we can get as drunk as we'd like without worrying about getting home."

"If that's what you'd like."

"You're a good friend, Oro."

"I've learnt from the best." He then eyed her phone that was on top of the mountain of a pile she had compiling on her desk. "Has Mei called today?"

"She's texted me over a hundred times since we ran into her."

"Why won't we attend one of her parties? We were invited. Knowing Mei, it'll be free booze. And having a part-time salary of being a teacher isn't giving me enough luxury to get drunk enough to feel a high. This is a win-win for me."

"I don't know, these wild parties aren't my scene."

Orochimaru raised a sceptical eyebrow at her.

"Okay, it's not my scene _anymore._ " She corrected with a huff. It was disconcerting how Orochimaru was very precise with the information he has gathered about her, that he would not even let this one discrepancy slide. Her partying days were during her first year in college and it didn't last long enough for any of her classmates from college to remember, but that serpent of a man seemed to recall it like it was yesterday.

"I'm just saying, you should think about it. You need to take a break from all this marking you're doing. Lord knows I'm going crazy watching that pile of yours grow into a mountain." He said, walking away with his iced latte in one hand.

Tsunade reclined on her chair and sighed. She had always limited herself with her consumption of alcohol ever since her college days when she dated Dan. He never minded her getting drunk; he was never the suspicious type to accuse her of drunkenly cheating on him in those sketchy back toilets clubs had. But she liked being in control of her thoughts and awareness whilst she was with him. It was always more fun letting loose and blowing steam in the middle of the dancefloor with the man she loved.

Even without being amped with alcohol, she was an unbashful woman who often thought of the consequences after the deed was done. But with alcohol, she was – in Dan's words – an unbelievable flirt. Now, she didn't know if that was a compliment to the prowess of her sleek personality, or a sweet way of letting her know that she was an atrocious drunk. Either way, he didn't seem to complain about it, especially since they often had their round in the sheets at the end of the night they partied together.

Her phone vibrated, almost sending her sheaf of paper careening over the edge of her desk and into the lattice bin. She quickly caught her workload and opened the message she received.

 _Mei: I know you're not going to respond again, but I do hope you show up tonight. I've already texted Orochimaru and he's all in for tonight's party. Don't miss it, Tsu-chan! 3_

She looked at Orochimaru upon reading the text message, scorned by his betrayal. He gave her a smirk from the other end of the room, already aware of why she was glaring at him.

Tsunade pinched her nose bridge and huffed. She hoped she wasn't going to regret what she was about to do.

 _Tsunade: I'll be there if you pick me up._

Almost instantly, she received a reply.

 _Mei: Give me your address and I'll be there, babe._

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She was already regretting her decision.

* * *

"There you are!"

Kakashi opened his eyes and found Shizune crouching beside him as he slept on the roof of the school. He forced his lips to curve up slightly, enough to convince her that nothing was wrong. "Are the teachers coming up to lynch me? Is it already time to go home? What time is it?" He sat up and leaned against the fencing that was put around the roof top. "Are Obito and Rin looking for me?" he asked in a more serious tone.

"Rin was the one who told me you'd be here."

"Ah.." he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Please tell me it's time to go home."

"Idiot, it's still lunch time." She placed a small plastic bag on his lap before she huddled closely against him. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? So, I bought you some of the pastries you liked from the bakery."

"You didn't have to, but thank you, Shizune."

"You probably haven't eaten breakfast! You need food, Kakashi." She scolded, pushing one pastry into his mouth. "You're always doing these events, but you're not eating right. You could faint from exhaustion and lack of nutrients, Kakashi! Don't you listen to Senju-sama's classes?! I mean – _what?_ What are you staring at?" She asked, frightened at how she was quick to lose her momentum when she met his deep gaze.

He tucked some of the loose strands of her hair that had fallen free from her ponytail, behind her ear. "Your hair is getting longer. Hm. You look so pretty with longer hair."

"You think so?" she asked, bashfully, sidetracked from her session of scolding. "I've never grown my hair to shoulder-length before, so I don't really know what to think of it. But it's a bit of a hassle in the morning, you know?" She looked at Kakashi and realised that he was spacing out. "Kakashi, are you alright?"

He blankly blinked at her before he nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah. I'm fine. It's just –"

"—You've been busy. I get it." She did that look Kakashi had familiarised himself with. The sagging of the shoulders, the puffing of the cheeks and the silent treatment that ensued afterwards. She was sulking again. But he supposed he couldn't blame her for doing so, he did just space out on her again.

For the past few weeks, he has been put in a torrent of modelling gigs, and intense workout regimes for the Winter Tournament. He has been on the grind nonstop, and the only time he has time to rest and take a breather is when he is with Shizune. She has become nothing but collateral damage to his tumultuous life, so he couldn't blame her for feeling bruised from the impact of his life decisions. She has been nothing but supportive for him, and he has tried to be the same for her even if that meant staying up late in the bakery with her to be her critic.

He put his arm around her and tilted her head by her chin. "Hey, Shizune…"

"N-No. It's fine. I totally get it, Kakashi. You have a lot on your plate – modelling, working, being a Class Rep." Her dark beady eyes met his own. "And being with me."

"Being with you is _not_ a chore for me," he reassured, gazing into her eyes. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why won't you spend the night out with me."

"What? Kakashi, my parents would kill you!"

"You said they're out of the city."

"They are – _Oh!"_

"Yeah… So, what do you say?"

She bit her lower lip. "I've never lied to my parents before."

"You don't have to lie. You'll just not tell them anything." Kakashi was now closer to her, with the proximity between them becoming akin to a hot blaze during a heatwave they'd get during summer. His thumb brushed over her glossed lips before his lips sealed the heat that threatened to leave after his thumb left her.

He pressed against her harder, kissing her repeatedly and refusing to let the distance between their lips widen. As always, he took charge by cradling the side of her face with his palm and keeping his other hand on her back. He slowly asserted his dominance by pulling her for more and by dictating how long their kisses were. Shizune was a fickle girl who often blushed when their kisses became too heated. She never expressed what she wanted; she would want him by her side at one minute then would want him to do what he needs to do the next.

He didn't know if she was aware of this, but it didn't clarify anything for him. If anything, it only provided a crossroad for him to walk through. And he hated the idea of choosing money over her, but he understood the necessity of it as he would be helping his father recuperate. But by constantly working and being drowned by his other responsibilities, he was wounding Shizune into thinking she wasn't worth his time. Even though she was.

"Mhm. Kakashi, s-stop…" Shizune gasped, gaining enough space between them by pushing him by his shoulders.

"What is it?"

"I-I can't…. I'm not…"

"I'm not asking you to." Kakashi was quick to say. "I was just really desperate to show you how I'm crazy about you."

"If I do go with you tonight, you're not planning on –"

"No! Shizune, I'm not going to make you do anything you're not ready for." He reassured sweetly, taking her by her hand. "We haven't even been dating for a month. I don't want to rush into anything just yet." He kissed her on her cheek. "So, don't worry about being pressured."

"But…" she paused, biting her lip again, as she fiddled with her skirt. "But do you _want_ to do it?"

"I do, yes," he confessed. "I'm not going to pretend that I've never thought of it. But I want the moment to be right, and not because I pressured you into it. You're amazing, Shizune, and I don't want to ruin what we have."

"Okay," she smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Kakashi."

"Of course."

They shared another kiss before lunch ended.

* * *

Tsunade stood in front her full-length mirror comparing two of her favourite dresses to each other. One was the classic small black number which hugged and complimented all of her feminine curves, also teasing a large slither of skin on her back. The other was an emerald-hued dress – longer but further from it being saintly; it was very generous in the bust region, she didn't know if she had enough tape left to keep her breasts from giving strangers a nip slip show. Given that she was a DD cup woman, she was full on the top.

But the emerald dress did flatter her figure more than the black number. She scrunched her nose as she re-compared the dresses on her body. On the other hand, she had a killer pair of black stilettoes that would go well with the black dress. Wearing those five-inched heels will accentuate her legs and bless her with the height she missed out on in the family. But the other dress –

There was a knock on her door. Judging by the softness of the knock, it was Mei who was behind the door.

She huffed, dropping the dresses on her bed and slipping into her silk bathrobe to cover her lace-clad body. At the very moment she opened her door, two long arms reached out and grabbed her. "Tsunade!" Mei screamed with gaiety, hugging the blonde against her own curvaceous body. She then pushed her away from her, inspecting her thoroughly. "Mhm! Darling, your body is much better without that pretentious teacher-garb you had on."

"Hey! Quit insulting my work outfits." She snapped back, hurrying back into her bedroom to get changed. As predicted, the brunette waltzed right behind her, without much care for something called 'privacy' or 'personal space'. She always had a poor radar for such things; her presumptive behaviour has always led her to situations where she acts like she owns everything she sees. Even people's personal spaces.

"Oh, Tsunade, don't tell me you're deciding between those two outfits."

"W-What's wrong with them?!" she gasped, deeply offended by the fashionista.

"Honey, are you trying to get laid or faded in the club?"

"F-Faded?! I'm not going to get high!"

"Oh, is that what that means?" Mei asked, pulling a face. "Shit. I've been using that word a lot, too."

Tsunade palmed her face. "How are you as relevant as you are…"

"Well, if you must know—"

"No, no, no. I _don't_ need to know." She sighed, exasperated, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I don't know how to go out and party anymore. I don't know how to dress up anymore. I think I'll just slip into my sweats and binge watch. I heard—"

"No! You're coming out tonight. You're going to get drunk and you're going to have fun!" Mei insisted, pulling the blonde up on her feet. "Since this is an emergency, I'll let you pick some clothes out from my wardrobe."

"What? Mei—"

"Shhh." She hushed, putting her finger on her plump lips. "So, what is your waist line?"

"I'm a 24."

"It's like you're trying to make things difficult," Mei sighed.

* * *

Orochimaru didn't know why he'd expect nightclubs to have changed since the last time he had stepped in one. The low-neon lights radiated throughout the space of the club, illuminating enough crevices of the space to prevent people from tripping amongst each other, he'd guessed, but not gaudy enough that it would blaze at people's eyes. The neon lights bathed the walls and the dance floor of the club in splashes of colours which bled from one shade to the next.

The music thumped and bounced off from the walls of the room, injecting everyone with raw sensuality and sex. It was almost captivated to watch their hot and sensual bodies meld in the dancefloor, as they danced and grinded against each other, oblivious to what was happening outside. It was like this club blanketed people from society, making them into animals who acted on their primal instinct – sex.

And with the addition of alcohol, Orochimaru saw that this nightclub was a hotbed for drugs, sex and alcohol. A paradise for anyone who was up to no good.

"Never thought I'd see you here, Oro."

The serpent turned his head slightly, feigning care in his companions – nay, intruder's – interference. "Why am I not surprised that you're lingering here, Jiraiya?" The tall gallant was donned in a simple black dress shirt that was tucked in a pair of white pants. That was a sophisticated move for his standards. He must be desperate to get laid. "Didn't know you and Mei knew each other all that well." Of course, they've met through Tsunade during their college years, but he didn't think that they were remain in contact.

The gallant chortled before he downed his shot of vodka. "Oh, we _know_ each other." That nasty smirk he had on his face could only say one thing. "She's a fucking wild one in bed. She's not bad at blowjobs either. Lemme tell you—"

"I'd rather not hear," Orochimaru interrupted. "Knowing you, you like jerking yourself off to others, touting your sexual prowess beyond reality."

Jiraiya scoffed. "What made you jaded, huh? Have you not had some pussy in a while? Or, wait, is it dick? What are you feeling tonight, Oro?"

"I'm more of an ass kind of guy." Orochimaru got up from the booth and took his drink with him, desperate to brush the white-haired man away.

"So, how come you're here anyways?" Jiraiya prodded, following him where he leaned against a pillar in the corner of the club. "No offence, but—"

"I'm with Tsunade."

As expected and calculated by the serpent, Jiraiya's eyes widened and he choked back on his words. That smug look on his face was already wiped clean. Orochimaru smirked, sharply. It was his turn to gloat over his victory. Years may make them age and jaded, but he knew that Tsunade was that wound in Jiraiya's heart that he couldn't heal. He was still crazy about her – crazier, even.

Orochimaru was aware about their flings before they even told him. He was aware of how drugged Jiraiya was with Tsunade – how he lost himself in her presence and toxicity. How his brain cells would be reduced to mush when Tsunade was in the same room as him. And that hasn't changed. That gallant of a man, as tall and muscular as he is, has one weakness in his suave demeanour. And he underestimated him if he thought he wasn't going to utilise it to his advantage.

"S-She's here?"

"Not yet. But she will be." He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a sharp smirk. "Why? Are you still not over her?"

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "She's nothing to me, Orochimaru. I'm just surprised that she crawled out of her boring life, is all. Besides, I've fucked her enough times to know that she isn't anything special in bed. I've moved on to better and bigger conquests."

"Ah. Then you don't mind I also fuck our friend?"

Again. Jiraiya was rendered speechless, but the prominent vein on his forehead told Orochimaru everything he needed to know.

"Hm. You should know by now that Tsunade is like a little sister to me. I would never do anything like to her. Nor am I interested in her in _that_ way." He took a sip from his drink. "So, unclench your hand, you oaf. You've humoured me enough. I'm going to find myself some _real_ fun. But feel free to stand here and wait for the woman you claim to have gotten over."

"I finally remember why we don't hang out, Orochimaru. Your serpent tongue is as vile as before."

"As always, it was pleasant catching up with you," he said with a faux-smile.

"I think I might hit another club. This isn't worth my time –"

"Not worth your time, I hear?" Mei asked, sneaking behind the gallant and taking his drink for her own consumption. "Plain old vodka, huh? You're just as bland as you are in bed." She gave him the nudge and a wink. "I'm kidding. Don't give me that glare. You might not get me to put out tonight."

Jiraiya scoffed.

"Scoff all you want. You won't be when you're going to have to jerk yourself off to sleep."

Orochimaru's eyes tightened. "Where's Tsunade?"

"Oh, she's giving her coat at the entrance. I went ahead to find you, Oro, just in case you've skittled out from this party. You're usually good at slithering your way out. But if you're desperate to know, she's gonna be here any mo—ah, there she is!" Mei gasped, waving enthusiastically at the blonde who was at the end of the room. "Tsunade, over here!"

Tsunade separated the crowd as she sauntered towards them with the same confidence models exuded when they walked on runways. Her eyes glowed from the eyeshadow which crowned her tantalising pupils, whilst her lips looked sinfully irresistible in the shade of matte red.

Orochimaru looked up Jiraiya who had not blinked since she emerged from the crowd, donned in a red satin number which had a plunging neckline, embracing and hugging her breasts in a flattering manner. She looked like she was Fire itself, ever so dangerous but also very alluring.

And Jiraiya of all people knew just how dangerous it was to get involved with a fiery woman like her. His eyes fixated on her, sharp and precise, drinking in every inch of flesh she exposed and every sexuality she expressed with her sultry outfit. He hasn't seen her dressed like that in years, and seeing it now, put him ablaze.

He wanted nothing more than to undo her hair and have her all night long. He wanted to adorn her in diamonds and –

He noticed that she evaded his leer. He'd forgot that they had an argument in the streets a few weeks back.

"So, where's the bar?" she asked Mei. "I'm ready to get drunk."

"Just right there," she gestured.

"This is free booze, right?"

"It's all on me." Mei reassured. "So, go on, get drunk. Have fun, Tsunade- _sensei._ " She slapped the blonde buxom's behind with a playful grin, before she turned to her raven companion. "Orochimaru. I'm glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss out on free booze." The serpent winked.

"Mhm. Why won't you get me what you're having, and we'll catch up. Just like old times." Her fingers coyly linger on his shoulder and down his arm, slow and seductively. "What do you say?"

"I thought you were with Jiraiya?"

"He's already got his dick hard for Tsunade. Besides, I've seen what he's like under the sheets. My curiosity has been sated, and I have been thoroughly let down. But you…." Her fingertips were now caressing his defined cheekbone. "We never do finish what we start."

Orochimaru gazed at her, intrigued. "Perhaps we should finish what we started." His eyes then darted to the bar – to Tsunade. "I'll get you that drink." He took her hand off his face and kissed her knuckles without breaking their eye contact. He knew the intensity of his golden pupils would melt her cold exterior.

"You're avoiding me…" Jiraiya pointed out, leaning against the bar next to her. He side-eyed her when she gave him the silent treatment. "And now you're ignoring me."

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade finally huffed. "I'm here to blow off some steam. For once, don't ruin my mood."

He held her by her arm, keeping her from leaving him alone on the bar. "C'mon, let's talk. For old time's sake. Let's forget our animosity and –"

"Hey." Orochimaru gracefully slotted in between the two, purposefully blocking Jiraiya's view of Tsunade. "Tsuna, there's somebody who I think is very interested in you." He pointed at a striking looking man clad in a black suit. "He asked me if you wanted to join him and his friends to that booth over there. I'll come with you, of course."

"He's handsome." She mused, eyeing the mysterious figure from his head to his toe. "You really think I should…?"

"We're here to have fun, remember? Let's do that." He encouraged.

"Tsunade –" Jiraiya tried to say but was immediately cut off when the stranger from the distance approached her. He watched as the man leaned over to her ear, whispering sweet nothing into her, making her smile and giggle like a girl. "Orochimaru!" he snapped under his breath. "What are you doing?"

"Letting our friend have a good time. He's Mei's friend – a _model."_

Jiraiya clicked his tongue with irritation. "And she's going over to their booth? A booth filled with men? Sure! Let her have an orgy! That'll get her mind off her problems." He crossed his arms and refused to look at the pair who shamefully exchanged flirtatious remarks. "And she's wearing such a short and revealing dress – she's begging to be fucked. God, she's such a slu—"

"So, she's a slut because she's not flirting with you? She's a slut because she's not begging to suck your dick? But she wasn't one when you and her were fucking? When you tried to separate her from Dan?" Orochimaru scoffed. "Get over yourself, Jiraiya. Tsunade can do whatever she wants. I'm going to look after her tonight. So, you can sulk here if you'd much prefer. I'd prefer it if you weren't close to her."

The sound of feminine laughter made Jiraiya's ears perk up, and he looked over at Tsunade and her companion. The man's eyes were clearly glued onto her breasts, and his smirk was probably because he was imagining every lewd shit he was would do her later that night. He was even stroking her thigh!

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, husky and alluring, biting his lower lip as he shamelessly checked her out. "I'll be good. I'll keep my hands to myself."

Tsunade gave the man the look Jiraiya had become familiar with – it was the same alluring look she would make to Dan whenever they were up to no good. That's when he also saw that her hand was gliding down on the man's upper torso, probably outlining the muscles he had hidden under that tight shirt.

"No," she then said.

Jiraiya felt a wash of relief wash over him.

"Don't keep your hands to yourself. There'll be no fun in that."

Jiraiya's face fell.

Tsunade took her last shot vodka before she allowed the man to take her away by her hand. As she was about to walk past them, she glanced at Orochimaru with a catty-smirk on her face. A smirk both of them understood. She was also interested in the guy.

"Do you want some advice?" Orochimaru asked, not really caring if he wanted it or not. He was going to say it either way. "Tsunade, whether you like it or not, will not be in your bed tonight. She might be in his or in another man's. She may even go home alone. But she won't be in yours, Jiraiya. So, move on. Find someone else who'll be as invested in you as you are in her. Because, let's face it, you didn't win her over from Dan. There's no way you can win her over now. Because we both know the truth – Tsunade can sleep with every man in this club, but she'll never stop being _Dan's."_

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. I can't accept that." His onyx eyes intently observed the raunchy couple on the dancefloor, as he drank his alcoholic beverage. "Tsunade and I are not yet done. She will come back to me. I'm sure of it."

Orochimaru shook his head. "She's done with you, Jiraiya." He said, taking the beverage he ordered for Mei.

"But I'm not done with her."


	17. Chapter 17

**Perfection**

The entirety of the club was in disarray of misplaced pheromones which seemed to have stimulated a lot of sexual desires within _everybody_ but Jiraiya. He remained at the bar, albeit with a stunning red-haired who, on his normal Friday, would definitely be getting screwed back in his hotel room. (He didn't like taking his hookups back into his penthouse, because that would compromise his locale to all of the women he's literally fucked over).

He tried to put his mind into it: he tried exchanging flirtatious advancements with her, tried caressing her as he engaged in what he could describe as the battle of their tonsils. That woman was either desperate to get dicked down or she was simply a competitive kisser. He didn't know which one was the right answer, but he did know that something was afoot. He shouldn't care about _why_ she was trying to shove her tongue down his throat so much, no, he should just be turned on. There shouldn't be this feeling of mediocrity in which mate he decided to fuck for the night.

But that's exactly what he felt - _unfulfillment_. That woman was stunning, with an amazing set of tits. He was sure that they were pumped with silicone to get to a double E cup, but he normally wasn't one to nitpick on such things. Boobs were better _bigger_ in his eyes. He didn't care if their were natural or not. If he could motorboat them at the end of the night, he was fine with them.

She was right there, wet for him. And yet, he wasn't satisfied. He always caught himself looking slightly to his left, where _she_ was. It had been a good hour and a half since she was swept away by that mysterious man clad in black, but they were still on the dancefloor. Mind you, they did take regular breaks from dancing, but their alternative activity didn't please him either. Instead of grabbing her tits - those _glorious_ tits of hers - in the dancefloor, they talked, instead.

And if there's anywhere quicker into Tsunade's panties, it was dialogue. Sure, alcohol infused flirting can turn her on, but that wouldn't be enough to fuck someone like her. She was _genuinely_ interested in talking to her potential one-night stand before she whisked them away. Now, he didn't know if this was her ploy in trying to find a potential suitable replacement for Dan, but he did find this odd. Especially with how the guy she was with looked interested in what she was saying - his eyes didn't even stoop down to her boobs, for crying out loud!

Those two can't possibly be serious. They are just a _fling,_ right? She was going to fuck him to get her bottled frustration out of her system, and she was going to continue on like always - alone. _Right?_

He observed as Tsunade allowed the man behind her become progressively more suggestive as to where he wanted them to lead to that night. He was behind her, practically grinding his hard-on against her ass, as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She seemed to eat it all up since she smiled in response before she turned around to lock her arms around his neck. They were even closer together now.

Jiraiya smirked, he shouldn't get too close. While the man doesn't know, Jiraiya did: Tsunade despises kissing. He hasn't gotten a kiss out of her without exerting much force. And this man was about to face the same wrath as he did if he leaned in closer.

Just as expected, he was leaning in closer to her now, with his hand carefully cradling her cheek. The gallant's eyes arched with glee. That idiot just ruined his chances.

Much to his shock-horror, it was Tsunade who sealed the distance between their lips when she crashed hers against his. The man's fingers were now interlaced with her golden strands as his spare hand wandered southwards, to give her behind an ample squeeze.

Jiraiya could almost feel his ire begin to brew in his ligaments as he watched Tsunade smile so whiskyfully after that kiss. _How_ could she deprive him of such thing, and let strangers in so casually? She made a big fuss about it when they were in bed together for the first time - how she refuses to be kissed unless she feels a genuine connection with the individual. The same connection she felt with Dan.

Does that mean that she feels something for that sleaze?!

That couldn't be right. She was doing this to spite him. She's aware of his presence in this club. It's obvious that this was her ploy to get a reaction out of him, to aggravate him. He took another shot of vodka and then loosened his tie, adamant to prove her wrong. If she was going to have her twisted sense of fun, then so was he. He was wrong in thinking that he needed her for his sense of fulfillment.

"Where were we?" He asked, huskily, as he kissed the lady's knuckles. His lips were perfectly arched into a coy smirk, as his graphite eyes twinkled with mischief the woman could only dream of with him.

She was already melting into his arms. This was too easy.

* * *

Tsunade didn't know if the alcohol has her on a high, but that unexpected kiss made her believe that the oxygen around them was no longer existent. As kind as his dark green eyes reflected, his lips were twisted with a foxy desire, and his hands felt like melting steel scalding against her body. Her aching body was _hot,_ and she was scarred with unquenched desires this man seemed to have marked her with.

Her eyes were fixated on the perfect sculpture that was this mysterious gentleman. He had a masculine edge into his handsomeness, especially with his long dark locks being swept back, as well as his rough stubble giving him that roguish look. And his personality was just as magnetic. He was powerful, but not controlling with his desires, and he was giving in putting her desires first before his. She was surprised when he didn't kiss her until then. Most men would be trying to to coax her into the toilets for a quick head or some sort.

"I couldn't resist," he whispered into her ear. "You're just too damn beautiful."

"Do those lines ever work?" she chuckled.

She felt his lips curve against her cheek. "They're working on you, aren't they? But I'm not lying - you are easily the hottest woman in this club right now. Look at you! A blondeshell knock-out." His eyes travelled around every curve in her body that her sultry dress let him privy to, and be bit his on his bottom lip. "Goddamn. You're something."

"Undressing me already?" She smirked, running her fingers through his hair, as she tiptoed closer to him until her chest was pressing against his pectorals and the tip of her nose was touching his. Her smile widened when he rubbed his nose against hers. "It's too early in the night for that, handsome."

She giggled against his lips as he came down to kiss her. Her childish provocations soon withered when he slipped his tongue back into her mouth, reminding her why he was the reason her body was on fire. She tilted her head slightly, to allow him to kiss her deeper, to allow more dopamine to flood her mind like a tidal surge of lustful promise. He was getting keener in kissing her. And his hands were getting bolder with their clutches.

"Tsunade,"

"What is it?" she asked, gazing up at him, chest still heaving from their heated exchange.

"I don't mean to come across as being too bold, but you're turning me on so much right now. Most girls will need to at least give me some _stimulation_ to be like _this,_ but you're just here and I can't even control myself."

"Hey, big boy," Mei chimed in, grabbing him from his shoulder to turn him around for a hug. "I see you've met Tsunade. Or, I guess, swapped salivas with her. But I guess that's the normal greeting in parties."

"Ah, Mei! I'm sorry. I was meant to talk to you but…"

"This sly little minx took you from me. But that's fine, Koara-kun. In fact, can I steal our little mutual friend here? Just for a quick sec? Don't worry, I'm not going to steal her away from you." Mei jokingly reassured, as she tugged at the blonde.

By the time they had retreated back to the bar, Mei sat herself down on one of the stools, and wore a smug look on her face. "So, he's a catch, isn't he? Great-looking, killer workout body, and - from what I hear from some of my gal pals - a _big_ package. _Huge_." She winked at the blonde. "Good luck having a functioning throat after that."

Tsunade gagged on her drink. "Ex-Excuse me?"

"Oh come on, you two are clearly going to fuck tonight. And we both know guys love blowjobs. Don't you ever give blowjobs?" She frowned before giving out an exasperated sigh. "Please tell me you're half-decent in bed, Tsunade."

"I-I am! Of course. But I'm not going to do _that_ with him! God."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that sucking someone off was beyond your saintly endeavours."

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," Mei mumbled. "I'm just glad that you're having fun. Shit, I haven't seen you go full tongue on someone since Dan. And only if God watched the both of you, kissing anywhere below the passion you guys shared would be a sin. I'm serious. I was jealous of you guys."

She only faintly smiled at her friend's remarks.

"But I'm relieved that you're starting to come back out, to fish around this vast ocean, and to _live_ again. Even if it's with Koara-kun."

"Wait. Do you have a thing for him? Because if you do, I'm not getting involved."

"What? No! I'm just saying, as aesthetically pleasing he is to our eyes, he's nowhere good enough for you in the long run. Sure, for a fling. But not for any grand family picture perfect scenario." Mei truthfully told, looking back at the blonde bombshell beside her. "We haven't seen each other in years, and I'm just trying to look out for you."

"I'm sorry for cutting you out."

"Pssh," Mei casually replied as she swatted her apology away. "Please. You did what you had to do, to recover and to regain your roots. Trust me, I wasn't offended or hurt. I expected it." She wrapped her arm around her neck and rested the side of her face on her head. "Losing Dan must have been extremely tough for you."

Tsunade's lack of response and sudden eager drive to drink her alcohol beverage, confirmed that she wasn't emotionally available to talk about it to the likes of Mei.

"I overstepped. Sorry."

"Forget about it." Tsunade slammed her glass down on the mahogany bar and pulled Mei forward by her hands. "We're going to dance."

"What about Kaora-kun?"

"He'll come around. But for now, _we're_ going to dance."

* * *

"Oh, fuck," Jiraiya groaned. "You're really good with your mouth, aren't you?"

He used his dominant hand to entrench his clutches into the tresses of her chocolate hair, pushing her an inch forward to engulf his entire throbbing member. He hissed through his gritted teeth as she pulled his member out of her mouth, to swirl her skillful tongue around his sensitive tip. She was treating his tip like it were some hard candy. And believe him, he was _extremely_ hard.

"Suck me off," he pleaded. "Come on."

She laughed as she slapped his cock on her tongue, purposely disobeying his pleas. "Say please."

His eyes twitched. She couldn't be serious.

"Say. It."

" _Please."_ He throatilly pleaded, needing her hot mouth to engulf his member. "Please. _Plea_ -Oh _fuck_!" His gasped when her mouth welcomed the majority of his member back. Jiraiya squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to resist coming from the pressure she was exerting on his member. But he could feel her tongue licking the underside of his shaft, and that alone was making him go crazy. "Oh, you bitch." He growled as he rolled his hips forward, feeding her more of his length. "God, you're so good!"

She pulled out from his grip and away from his member, gasping for air. "Jesus. You're so big."

"Bend over this sink." Jiraiya ordered, rubbing his lubricated cock. "Come on. Let me have a taste of that pussy of yours."

She grinned, kissing the knob of his cock before she rose back up from the ground. "Are you going to fill me up, big boy? Are you going to make me your whore?"

Jiraiya forcibly turned her around and bent her over. His hands were quick to raise her dress up, to reveal her g-string. He grinned as he leaned forward to her ear. "You're already my whore," he whispered, snapping her underwear in half.

"Hey!" She was about to protest, but her voice faltered when she felt his member penetrate through her wet cavern. "Oh, fuck!" Her eyes rolled back as her hand tried to claw into the glass mirror. He had already filled her up, but he wasn't finished. With a soft grunt, he pushed more of himself into her pussy. "Jiraiya!"

His massive hands wandered up from her waist and up to her breasts, squeezing them with desperate need, as he began to pistol in and out of her pussy, creating a rhythm of skin slapping and uncontrolled moans of ecstasy.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he penetrated her in a deeper angle, inhaling her sweet aroma as he explored her hot and wet pussy with desperate need of release. "Look at the mirror, sweet. Look at yourself." He said, directing her by her chin. "You're such as a pretty slut, you know that?"

"Jiraiya…" she moaned when he buried his entire member into her, pausing in his relentless fucking, so she could fathom how big and hard he was inside of her. "I'm so wet for you. Keep going. _Please._ "

He grinned, clutching at her ample bosom and twisting her taut nipples. "Come here." He pulled out off her and turned her around, before he placed her on top of the sink. With a soft kiss, he roughly penetrated her in an angle that sent her careening to her impending orgasm. His muscular arms kept her voluptuous body against his, with her legs wrapped around his waist, urging him to keep fucking her in that same angle as she came closer to her sweet release.

"Jiraiya…." she moaned in his ear.

He closed his eyes and allowed for his body's instincts to guide him to his own release. She was getting tighter, her muscles were beginning to clench around his sensitive cock, urging for him to fill her up with his sweet seed. But he couldn't seem to reach that level of satisfaction. He couldn't seem to find the key to his sweet release.

He lifted the dark-haired woman off from the sink, by her buttocks, before he slammed her back against the wall. Surely a different angle will satisfy him. But after a few thrusts and strokes, he found that it didn't.

He gazed at the woman who was sated in pleasured, and he gritted his teeth. "Shit. Oh, god." He wanted to come, but his body wasn't giving him that release. And that's when it hit him. Ever since _she_ came into the club, his attention has been fixated on her. Maybe it was because of her that he was being like this. She was occupying his mind, when she wasn't the one fucking him, and that has been causing a turmoil in himself.

"Tsunade," he allowed his lips to say. In an instant he received a wave of euphoria in his brain. He was edging closer and closer to coming. His thrusts started becoming deeper, rougher, and his kisses were demanding and fuelled with unsated passion. And his unyielding hands grew more demanding in their groping.

Since this woman was as voluptuous, if not more, as Tsunade, he was able to conceptualise the blonde in his mind when he closed his eyes. Sure, she has never screamed and moaned for him like this woman, but that didn't matter. In his mind, this body and this pussy he was fucking was Tsunade's. And that thought alone was turning him on even more than he thought.

" _Tsunade_." He moaned. "Oh, baby."

"J-Jiraiya?" she asked, finally registering to what he was moaning.

"Shhh. Baby. Don't say anything. Let me have this."

"Bu-But I'm not -" Her lips were sealed by his own, urgently silencing her from ruining his utopia.

"I'm coming. I'm coming." He keenly said, pushing his dick further into his pussy. "Let me come inside of you. Let me, Tsunade."

"Jiraiya, sto -" It was too late. He came with a throaty grunt, spilling his thick seed inside of her pussy, with some of the excess ambling down her inner thigh as soon as he released her from his clutches.

Jiraiya pushed his dick back inside his pants and started to fasten his belt closed. He looked at the woman who was confused by the entirety of everything. Her movements, as she tried to do her dress back up, were clumsy and without coordination. She was still disorientated as her body tried to rebalance the dopamine levels in its system.

"So… this was fun." He grinned, planting a kiss on her cheek. "We should do it again sometime."

"You didn't want to sleep with me."

"Of course I did!" he scoffed, assisting her with her dress.

"So why were you saying another woman's name?"

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. Who cares? I only did it so I can jack off."

"And you wouldn't have been able to without thinking of her?"

"Look, you're great. And we just had an amazing time together. We don't want to ruin that by arguing, do we?"

"I'm going to get a drink." She quickly said, pushing him out of the way so she could get out of the dimly lit bathroom.

Jiraiya leaned against the sink and hung his head low. "Fuck."

* * *

It was verging on midnight, Orochimaru realised, and yet he hasn't gotten closer to finding a potential one-night mate. He has been too busy with looking after his dearest friend, who, by the looks of things, was getting along just fine with Mei. It wasn't a surprise that the both of them have attracted a cluster of men, all flaunting designer outfits and chains of gold to show off their wealth (as most people do).

And where was he? Sitting in an empty booth, drinking sparkling water because he didn't want to be too drunk if he was going to look after Tsunade. Having one drunk mess was enough, he didn't need to add himself in the equation.

But he supposed that watching Tsunade finally let loose was rewarding to see. He hasn't seen her step in a club in years, and it has been just as long since she mingled with strangers. By the looks of it, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Although he didn't really appreciate the fuckboys who were trying to grind up to her and Mei, he knew that it was best to leave the both of them alone. After all, Tsunade has trained in not letting people walk all over her, and Mei has actually trained in real self defense classes. Put those two fiery women together, they could easily take those steroid-filled fuckboys out.

"I give up." A husky voice admitted before Orochimaru felt a hefty weight bury down on the leather encased couch.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, looking at Jiraiya who was now looking worse for wear. "Who robbed you?"

"Ha ha," he sardonically side, drinking his whiskey. "You're right, okay? I admit it. Tsunade is the one I want."

"Jiraiya, I'm not having this conversation with you again. You have clearly made it your quest to be the biggest dick imaginable. I don't know why you would think that Tsunade would find that attractive in a guy. You do realise that you became the _opposite_ of her type, right?"

Jiraiya threw his head back as he groaned in frustration. "I know, I know. It's just I didn't know how to handle her and Mr Perfect being together. What did Dan have that I didn't?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Look -"

"You mean, how Dan was sophisticated, caring, independent, selfless, determined, and loyal? Yeah, I forgot you had all of those traits down. _That's_ why Tsunade was turned off by you - because you were just too good of a person for her!" He scoffed.

The gallant folded his arms and huffed childishly. "Alright. _Maybe_ I'm not like that. But I can be. For her. You know that I've always loved her. I mean, who wouldn't? But then she went for someone like Dan. She was, what, fifteen and he was eighteen? Wouldn't that have been classed as immoral since he was a legal adult and she wasn't even legal to drive?"

"Jiraiya…."

"Look, I just thought I had more time…."

"We both know that Dan had never hurt Tsunade. Just bear that in mind. He was not a bad person. I don't see why you harbour such a strong grudge against him."

" _That's_ where you're fucking wrong, Oro. Look at Tsunade now!" He pointed at the unsuspecting blonde. "Do you _really_ think that she's _happy_?! And why did she end up being so miserable and depressed, in the first place? Oh, yeah, because of Dan! He _hurt_ her by leaving her!"

"It's not as if he _chose_ to die, Jira. They were getting married, for fuck's sake! He devoted himself to Tsunade better than you and I could ever - and you know it! There's no man in this club, in this city, hell, maybe in this country, who is better suited for Tsunade than Dan. But you couldn't see that because you were trying so hard in finding flaws in their relationship, in him. You lived to sabotaged them."

"I can be the one for Tsunade. I know her well. And I can change!"

"Change all you want. But what matters here is Tsunade's perception of you. Do you think _that'll_ change?"

"Perhaps. If I give her more time."

"You're quite pathetic" He muttered, sipping his water through a nylon straw that is literally shaped as a phallic. Now that he thought about it, maybe he was just as pathetic as the gallant. This plastic phallic was all the action he was going to get that night.

* * *

 _Hours earlier…._

6:30pm

The night, covered in adumbral vastness that covered the talk grey skyscrapers that littered across the City Life, was chilly and on its heel for the winter coming in December. Every passerby they walked past was donned in a winter coat, with others already wrapped with their scarves and leather gloves. For a cold and chilly weather, people were awfully lively with their livelihoods, with hundreds of workers and students alike shuffling past each other in quick succession without much hassle and jostling.

In the midst of the crowd were two teens, who took their time in wandering around the heart of the city. Occasionally window shopping and tasting delicacies in food stalls. While Kakashi had a modelling gig to go to later that night, he didn't rush Shizune into his personal endeavours. He was just glad that she agreed to stay over at his place, much to her initial dismay in deceiving her parents.

"Kakashi, look, there's a stall for ikayaki!" Shizune beamed, immediately pulling him along with her as she sprinted towards the stall. He had forgotten her love for seafood, especially with _grilled_ seafood.

"Can we have three please?" Kakashi requested, reaching his for wallet in his coat pocket.

"Hai! Coming right up!"

"Three?" Shizune asked. "Who's the other one for?"

"Who do you think?" he asked, bopping her on her nose. "You'll eat the first one in a couple of seconds and complain about how you should have gotten a second one. We've gone out enough times for me to know."

She puffed her cheeks. "You could have said that nicer, yanno."

He pinched her rosy cheeks with a beaming smile. "And miss that cute look on your face?"

"Oi! My cheeks are cold. S-Stop pinching them!"

"It's not my fault that they're so squishy." He chortled, pinching her cheek even harder.

"Here you go." The man said, offering them their three grilled squids as he received his payment. "Have a good night."

"You, too." Kakashi smiled back, bowing slightly as a respectful gesture to the senior. "Here you go," he passed the two ikayakis to Shizune, pausing slightly so she could link her arm with his.

"Thanks, Kakashi."

"No problem. Hey, what do you want to eat for dinner? After my photoshoot, that is." He asked, looking down at his companion who was already too busy chowing down on the squid. He supposed he could just buy her a hundred ikayakis, but that would probably desensitise her from her love of grilled squids. They could always get that combo sushi meal, but that would be too bland. He cupped his chin in contemplation.

"Kakashi. Kakashi."

He felt an end of a stick poke him on his arm, subsequently distracting him from his plans. "Hm?" he lightly acknowledged.

"Are you going to eat yours?"

"Huh?" He blinked for a while before he looked at his untouched ikayaki. "Sure."

Shizune happily chewed a bit of his ikayaki with a cat-like expression, making Kakashi's expression soften for her. Could she become more adorable? He internally laughed. She was literally like a cat, and she was oblivious about it.

With a light chuckle, he wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her in close to his body. "I really love being with you, Shizune." He confessed with pure gaiety tainting every line and every dimple on his face.

Instead of swatting his arm away, Shizune cozied up against him and let herself fall into the pit of shameless PDA, as she tiptoed to plant a kiss on the corner of his lips. She was not fond of allowing herself to become hasty with her affection, but she couldn't help but allow herself this one easement. Much to her surprise, Kakashi angled his face in a way that he could kiss her on her lips. She felt the his lips curve upwards, but her lips did the same before they shared a laugh together.

"You keep making me laugh…" she pouted.

"Is that so bad?"

"No, but I just find it odd how you can make me feel these emotions in the most unconventional ways. You didn't even do anything stupid, or tried to crack a whimsical joke, but you still make me smile. It's weird, because I feel like nothing is forced when I'm with you."

Kakashi's expression softened slightly as his hand took hers. "I'm glad…"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way."

"H-Huh? Y-You do?"

"Of course I do! I'm not choosing to be with you because of a dare, or something. I genuinely enjoy being with you, just the two of us. Of course I also enjoy being with Obito and Rin, but it's different with you. I feel _warm_ inside."

"So do I…" she also confessed, but quieter.

As they continued to walk through the bustling streets, she couldn't help but look up at her boyfriend - while she didn't call him that out loud, she figured that they were each other's significant other - and feel her stomach dip a little. Kakashi was giving her everything she's ever wanted from him, albeit he can be lacking at times, but given his current tumultuous schedule, she figured that what Kakashi has given her was the best he could provide for her. She couldn't help but feel selfish at that thought - Kakashi was giving her what _she_ wanted, but was she giving him what _he_ wants?

He has become more openly intimate with her, but he has never dared to cross the boundaries she established. While there has been moments where they have been _too_ intimate in her bedroom, he was always conscious of her well-being and her level of comfort within the situation. He has never done anything to make her feel as if she was being pressured or pushed into a corner.

Kakashi was selfless and she felt that she has been selfish with her demands. She has always been vocal with his shortcomings in not spending enough time with her, in being too self-contained, but he hasn't even said a peep about her. That didn't mean that she was the perfect one in the relationship. Heck, she doesn't know what that makes her.

She held his hand tighter; it must have been noticeable because she saw Kakashi look down at her at the corner of her eye. But he didn't say anything. Maybe he felt like he didn't need to, or that he wanted to wait till later to bring it up.

"We're here. I swear, it will only take an hour." He reassured with a smile.

"No.." she shook her head. "Take as much time as you need. This is your work, Kakashi."

* * *

"Look to the left. Excellent, excellent! No, look at the lens with a mean face, Kakashi. Make me feel intimidated. _That's_ it!" The photographer excitedly exclaimed, shooting the teen in all sorts of angles for the perfume commercial shoot they were entering him in. Only ten fresh comers were chosen by the company, and since Mei has highly praised Kakashi's competence as a model, he made it into the cut. Now, it was up to them to make him irresistible for the company.

Shizune watched in the background, keeping half of her attention on Kakashi's photoshoot whilst her other half was fixated on her phone. She was lazily scrolling through her social media feed when she heard a very feminine shriek of excitement. Her ears perked and her head shot up, instantly seeing Kakashi being embraced by that girl who scouted him.

She was only donned in a silken robe, with half of her half done. She must have haphazardly rushed to see Kakashi. Were they close, she wondered?

"Hey, congratulations for being chosen as one of the candidates for Chanel! That's a really big step, you know! But, don't be nervous, because you're doing amazing! And if you need anything, I'll be on the other side." She straightened his blazer and neatened up his collar, with a small smirk planted on her face. "You look really handsome, you know. Especially with your hair gelled back like that." She caressed his face, but just as she was about to get closer, Kakashi leaned back.

"My girlfriend is here, Hanare." He informed, lightly pushing her hand away.

"Oh. I thought you guys weren't a _couple._ "

"That was before. But we're quite serious now."

"Hm. Alright. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt your relationship with your cute girlfriend."

"Thank you."

"Well, I see you in a few, alright? Keep killing this." She winked.

"Ready?" the photographer asked.

Kakshi cleared his throat and nodded. He resumed his stance, with his hand going through the tresses of his hair.

"One more time, Kakashi. But this time, lower your chin a little bit. There we go. Now, pretend you're fixing your button cuffs as you look to the side." Snaps of the camera kept clicking as Kakashi tried several stances.

It had been a good 30 minutes of peace for Shizune until Hanare approached her, now with her hair and makeup complete. She sat beside her, but she didn't initiate conversation right away. Instead, her eyes were focused on Kakashi, who was now donned in a different suit and a different hairstyle.

"He's a catch, isn't he?" she then said, as if it was to anyone around them. Since no one else was sitting beside her, or was within a ten feet radius, Shizune figured that rhetorical comment was for her. She turned off her phone and placed it on her lap as she turned her attention to Hanare. "I mean, you're lucky to have someone as perfect as him in your life."

Shizune has never had an inferiority complex, because she has always kept in her stride of her own self worth and confidence, but being in such close proximity with someone as drop-dead gorgeous as Hanare made her want to retreat back into her shell. She couldn't even muster up the right words to say back to her. Should she be more assertive and tell her it straight? Or should she just feign deafness and let her muse on how wonderful her boyfriend is?

"How serious are you two?" she asked, making her contact with her this time. "I mean, the last time I saw you, Kakashi said you two weren't serious. But now…. I see that has changed."

"We're dating…"

"Ah. So, have you _sealed_ the deal or what?"

"Sealed the deal?" Shizune frowned, unfamiliar with her lingo. "D-Do you mean…"

"Sex, Shizune-chan. Have you guys done _it_?"

"N-No! Of course not!" She stammered, waving her hands up in defense as she blushed earnestly. It's not like she hasn't thought about it, wondering what it would feel like, but she hasn't mustered up the strength to meddle into those waters. At least, not yet.

A devilish smirk formed on Hanare's face as she gazed back at him. "You must be aware that there are plenty of girls who would pounce at Kakashi if given the chance, right?"

"I guess…." _And her point was?_

"And Kakashi - in whatever way you look at it - is a bachelor at heart. He may not express it, but I'm pretty sure that he wants someone who gives him that fire inside. Something exciting. I get you're this cute and conservative girl, Shizune-chan, but do you _really_ think you can keep this flame going with Kakashi if you're not even trying to keep the embers going? Right now, Kakashi is enjoying himself because this relationship is fresh, but if you don't offer him anything new then the fire will put itself out."

Shizune's stomach churned. She has always feared for that probability since, especially in modern relationships, sex was a pivotal factor that can make or break a relationship. And while she has never put sex out of the equation, she has never thought that it could jeopardise their relationship like that. But, like Hanare pointed out, Kakashi has his own _needs._ While he may not function on the thought of sex alone, he must have this lingering thought of it. Hell, if she does, then so must he.

"It's like marking your territory," Hanare went on to say. "And since Kakashi is not yet marked, then he's still up for grabs for other girls."

"Like you?"

"Maybe." Just as Shizune expected, she played coy.

"Kakashi and I are in a _good_ place." She hoped they were. At least, she felt as if they are.

"And I'm not saying you're wrong, but just look at him. Do you _really_ think someone like him can be compatible with someone like you in the long run? He's an athlete and a model. He's _everything_ girls want. As Kakashi will get older, and become experienced in this kind of business, he will no longer be the same as he was before he dabbled into this industry. Do you really think you can keep up with him?"

Shizune fiddled with the end of her coat before she nodded. "I-I do…"

Hanare wordlessly appraised her reaction, knowing that there wasn't a hint of confidence within her response. Just an empty shell, like her. She shifted off the chair and started to saunter back to her dressing room.. "If you say so…"

* * *

After the photoshoot concluded, Kakashi was back in his school uniform and normal hairstyle. He was the Kakashi she knew again. But was it fair to think like that, though? Kakashi has always been Kakashi. But the Kakashi she saw during the photoshoot didn't have the hint of his character; it was as if he had adopted a new persona that translated through the lenses of the camera as extremely masculine and sexy, but not _Kakashi._

"I saw you talking to Hanare," he said, smiling. "Isn't she amazing?"

Shizune gave a half-hearted smile back. "Yeah, she is. So, are you two close?"

"Yeah. We sometimes hang out after know, just to chat. She's helped me a lot with modelling; I honestly don't think I would have impressed Mei-sama without her. She's just…" Shizune caught a glint in his eyes as he talked about Hanare. It was a look of fondness. "She's a great friend to me."

"Ah…" _Friend, huh._

"So, have you thought of a place to eat?" he asked, fixing the collar of his winter coat.

"I was thinking we could just grab sushi on the way, and eat it while watching a film."

"Sounds great." He planted a kiss on her forehead as he held her hand. "I'm excited for tonight."

Shizune interlaced her fingers with him and nodded. "So am I." But as she said that, Hanare's words flashed into her mind, reminding her of what could be going through Kakashi's mind. He wasn't thinking of having sex with her tonight, was he? But given how overtly intimate he has been with her, she couldn't ease her mind of thinking that he wasn't. The thought of it intimidated her. She wasn't ready, but this could put a dent into their relationship. And she wasn't ready to lose Kakashi, not when they were finally working things out.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine!"

"You sure?"

Another fake smile. "Absolutely!"

"Okay…" Just as he was about to open the door for them, a pair of stiletto heels echoed on the marble floors, promptly alerting them. It was Hanare, all dressed up - in what Shizune figured would be a skimpy outfit, but she couldn't tell since it was underneath an oversized trench coat.

"Kakashi. Shizune-chan!" She called, waving at them. "I'm glad I caught up with you guys!"

"What is it?"

"I forgot to invite you to Mei-sama's party tonight. She said you were free to come if you wanted. She even put you on the guest list, so you wouldn't even need your ID!"

"A party?" Kakashi seemed interested.

"Please say you'll come! There's going to be a lot of fun there! And I don't want to mingle like a loner. All of my girlfriends are in the Land of Lightning right now, so I'd be all alone." She said, with a hint of whining behind her voice.

"Damn… That sounds really fun." Kakashi sighed as he looked at Shizune, making it seem like she was nothing but an obligation that he needed to respect. "I can't. I promised that tonight was going to be our date night."

Hanare pouted. "You're vanilla."

He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. Maybe some other time?"

"Fine, fine. You lovebirds have fun." She placed a kiss on his cheek before she waved goodbye at Shizune. "I'm off to let out some steam." She dashed out of the building, already whistling for a taxi to pick her up.

* * *

Alcohol amplified Tsunade's desire to release her shackles that night, making her do things she wouldn't normally do. But since her sober self has turned in for the night, she was not bound by guilt that'll restrict her from doing anything else nefarious. Although, since Orochimaru's calculative eyes have been very attentive on her, she hasn't been able to get away without being reprimanded. Just a second ago she was pulled down from the table she was dancing on.

Knowing that she had a hawk doting on her movements made her sober up a bit, but she was still too tipsy to grasp her drunken behaviour. Her body didn't seem to quite understand the mechanics of walking anymore, but it was not inept when it came to dancing and grinding against Kaora.

"C'mon, Oro…" she teased with a coy smirk. "Let me loosen up. Get yourself laaaiiiiid. I'm _fine_ , honestly."

"Tsunade," he hissed, keeping a hold of her forearms to keep her from toppling over him. "Don't drink anymore, alright?"

She tried to slip her arms free, but with the lack of coordination she couldn't summon her strength in her muscles to fight the serpent back. "Ugh, _fine_! But you're killing my mood, you know." She then grinned as she grabbed a hold of his nose. "Are you pouting because you're not getting some action from Mei?"

"What?" he scoffed.

"Oh, please, I already know about your little near-flings. I'm drunk, but I don't have shit memory, Oro. Not yet anyway."

"I promised to look after you."

"And you haaaveee! I'm fine, aren't I? I'm having fuuun, Oro! You've done your bit. Now, you need to get yourself _that_ brunette beauty before I steal her away from you."

"What?" Again, he pulled a face.

"Shhhh!" Tsunade very drunkenly tried to place her finger on his lip. At first she missed by planting her finger on his nose, but she soon dragged her finger down onto his lips, chuckling in amusement as she did so. "You think I can't get Mei?"

"I didn't say that…."

"You're going to regret that, yanno… Just you watch. _Watch_." As always, she jumped to her own conclusions. She twirled around to face Mei, who was conversing with the people around her, and grabbed her by her shoulder to spin her around. Once the unsuspecting brunette's delicate face was in her hands, she leaned in and sensually captured her lips with her own.

Orochimaru stood, stricken with shock and reddened with embarrassment. As did the dozens of people around the duo. Then there were howls and whistles made around them as they continued to makeout in front of him. The kiss grew deeper with need as Mei made the first move to slip her tongue in the blonde's mouth, making her softly moan at the back of her throat. All of which caught Orochimaru off-guard; he looked mortified, as if he had just walked in his parents doing the _do._

Tsunade smiled against Mei's lips as she drew away. "How was that?"

Mei wiped the lipstick print off from the corner of Tsunade's mouth with a small smile of her own. Obviously quite impressed, but still quite speechless. After a second of gazing into the blonde's eyes, she shook her head. "You're losing it, Tsunade." She then added, "I like it," with a wink.

"Well, Oro dared me to do it…"

"Hey!"

"Hm…" Mei smirked at him. "If he wanted to get some action, he could have just approached me."

"I-I-I!" Orochimaru grew redder as the two buxom pair grinned at his flustered self.

Tsunade tiptoed to Orochimaru's ear. "Go get her, tiger."

"What about you?"

"I have my own tiger to tame…" she winked.

"But, Tsunade…!"

"Don't worry about me. Have _fun!"_ She encouraged, already taking her conquest for the night by the hand, so she could discretely pull him away from the crowd that has amassed in the centre of the dancefloor.

"W-W-There are we going, Tsunade?" Kaora asked, baffled at how quickly he was swept away by the blonde.

When they reached the double glass doors that led to the reception of the bar, she twirled around and grasped his face with her hands and landed a hard and demanding kiss from him. It may have been all of the dancing she has done, or the raw anticipation of sleeping with a stranger, but she was feeling _hot_ and sensitive to the touch.

"Do you want to get out of here?" she whispered against his lips, gazing up into his eyes. "Somewhere _private._ "

"Huh…" He sighed out, obviously caught off-guard. But he grew more uneasy when her luscious lips started to plant kiss on his neck, working her way back up to his lips, where she teased him by softly tugging at his bottom lip. "God, you're hot." He didn't know how to grab onto the fiery blonde, in fear that he would melt, but his hands managed to grab hold of her waist, pulling her against him. His lips did the talking with hers, and his tongue continued to seduce her mind. "Let's get out of here," he finally voiced, drugged with intense lust for the irresistible blonde. At this point he didn't care where they went as long as she was there with him.

As Tsunade was about to lead him to the exit doors, she caught a glimpse of Jiraiya who was hunched over the bar, sulking from the looks of it. He seemed to have felt someone leering at him, because he turned his head and caught her and the man he was sure she was going to bed that night. His neutral expression mellowed as his lips fell downcast.

Their eye contact may have just been mere seconds, but they both felt like it was a couple of hours. Even with a glimpse, they were able to read each other well. Jiraiya was distraught, and Tsunade couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity in her stomach. She wasn't doing this to spite him, but she knew that he wouldn't see it that way.

"Is something the matter?" Kaora asked.

She was quick to break her eye contact with Jiraiya, smiling up at Kaora. "Nothing. Let's go."

* * *

Their train ride to Kakashi's home was quiet, but their walk to his house was even quieter. While they looked intimate to onlookers - holding hands and all - he felt disconnected from her. She was looking at everything but him, purposely averting her gaze from his. While he has come to accept that Shizune was a reserved person, often being as quiet as this, he could feel the rift between them. Something was wrong, but he couldn't tell exactly what it was.

And while he didn't want to jump to any assumptions, a part of him thought that it was because of Hanare. Perhaps she didn't take a liking to her overly _friendly_ personality? Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. But still, it….

Before he knew it, they were in front of his door. She looked at him, as if to ask what he was doing. He instantly began to fumble for his keys, patting each coat pocket he had. "Found it!" he claimed, quickly inserting the key into the lock. As he was about to twist the key, he heard nails scraping against the door as well as barks on the other side.

"Guess he knows we're here…"

"You're still keeping him?"

"Yeah. I'm fostering him. They didn't have enough space for him, so I volunteered to keep him until he finds a new home. It's fine. They give me enough allowance to provide for his needs." He pushed the door open and almost immediately he was overwhelmed by the dog jumping up on him. "Hey, buddy," he smiled, ruffling its head. "Did you miss me?"

The dog bark in agreement as its tail wagged excitedly.

But just as Shizune was about to tiptoe into the house, the dog's gaiety disappeared and was quickly replaced with feral instincts. He started barking at her, and started crouching into its defensive stance, as if it perceived her as a foe.

Kakashi quickly extended his arm out, blocking the dog from Shizune. "Hey, hey. What did we talk about? No, no. _Shhh!_ " He worked to tame the dog, but his growling persisted. "Akisame. _Sit._ " He sternly ordered, quickly overpowering the dog.

Akisame whined as he obeyed Kakashi's orders, allowing for Shizune to rush upstairs. He closed the door behind him and knelt in front of him, sighing in disappointment. "Bad dog, Akisame. I told you, Shizune is _friendly._ You mustn't scare her like that."

Akisame grumbled as it laid its head on the floor.

Kakashi didn't understand Akisame's dislike of Shizune. Then again, he has been protective of him from the opposite gender. While he gets quite iffy with Rin, he doesn't go full on with her like he does with Shizune. And he doesn't know why he acts this way.

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat."

* * *

Kakashi thought that by the time they have chosen a film things would get less quiet between them. He didn't expect anything raunchy, of course. But he expected Shizune to lighten up a bit. Unfortunately, she didn't humour him with any of that; even though they were both sat on his bed, she was cautious enough to keep her distance from him. Normally, she would be cuddling up against him as he put his arm around her.

This oddity in her behaviour perturbed him enough that he couldn't pay attention to what they were watching. He kept trying to steal glances at her throughout it all, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Did he do something wrong?

Maybe she was just expecting him to make the first move? How would he know what she was thinking at that moment? He hasn't been in this kind of situation before. All he wanted was to spend more time with her. Hopefully she didn't see it the wrong way.

Kakashi leaned his head against the wooden headboard before he turned to look at her fully. "Shizune…" he said.

She turned slightly. "Yeah?"

"Come here.." He stretched out his arm and pulled her closer to him. Surprisingly, she allowed it to happen as she pillowed her head on his chest. His arm then snaked around her waist to keep her closer to his body. "What's going on?" he finally asked. "Are you alright? You have been awfully quiet tonight."

"It's nothing…" she muttered.

"Hey. You do know that you _can_ talk to me, right? C'mon. I can tell when you're upset."

She shot back up. "I'm not upset!" she was quick to protest.

Kakashi blinked at her surprisingly. "A-Alright…"

She grimaced in regret. "I'm sorry…."

He also sat up and cradled her face. "What's wrong? Shizune, talk to me."

"It's petty…"

"I don't care. Just tell me."

Shizune bit down on her bottom lip as she contemplated on what she wanted to say, and if she wanted to say it out loud. But as Kakashi kissed her on her forehead and on her cheek, she felt her defenses melt away. "I don't like how close you are to Hanare…." she confessed in a whisper, looking disgusted with herself for even feeling jealousy against a girl she wasn't familiar with.

So he was right…

"Hanare is _just_ a friend, Shizune." He reassured, tucking her block locks behind her ear before he kissed her cheek again. "It's one hundred percent platonic."

"Maybe to you, but it's clear to me that she likes you. And why wouldn't she? You're perfect -"

"No, I'm not."

"Every girl - including me - think you are! And I can tell that you have some attraction for her, too. It's only natural, since she's drop dead gorgeous. And being with her for hours on end must be tantalising. I could only imagine what amazing things she has done with her life as a model. Meanwhile, I'm just a student who hasn't even travelled out of Konoha. I'm quite lacklustre compared to someone like her."

"Shizune…"

"I'm sorry but this is just how I feel."

"Okay… but that's not how I feel. Shizune, you're amazing! More amazing than her -"

She scoffed.

"It's _true._ " He brushed her hair back so she wouldn't hide her face from him. "You're beautiful, especially when you smile, because you have those cute dimples that show. You're insanely smart and creative, that I could listen to you for _hours._ " He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "And you're an amazing swimmer. I can't help but stare when you're in the water. You're so graceful and so…." He stalled for a second, chuckling softly in embarrassment. "I find you….." He grew redder. "God… I just find you sexy."

Now, Shizune was blushing.

"I don't care about Hanare like _that_. Honestly, I care about you. And us. I don't want us to run into any pit stops over things like this. I like where we're headed. And I don't want it to stop. Not when I'm this crazy about you." He slowly moved in to kiss her, waiting for her to push him away. But when she leaned in closer, he sealed their distance and moulded his lips against hers. His fingers wove themselves into the tresses of her hair as he kept their connection together.

Shizune made a small moan in her throat as Kakashi used his tongue to explore her mouth. He had gotten extremely skilled in kissing since they had their first awkward kiss in the rain, and he wasn't afraid to make her weak with it. When their lips part by the tiniest gap, she gazed up at him, eyes clouded with unknown heat and unquenched _need._

"I want to…" she obscurely confessed, stroking the side of his face.

"Hm?"

"I want us to do it… Have sex." She looked at him evenly as his mouth fell. "Unless… you don't want to?"

"I-I want to…. But…. Shizune, you said that you weren't ready."

"Then."

"That was _this_ morning."

"And lot of things happen in a handful of hours. I now know I want _this_." She started to unbutton her dress shirt to reveal her dark blue bra. "Kakashi…."

She didn't need to say more as he silenced her with another kiss. This time he didn't hold back. His touch came with intense passion and fire that he leashed all the times they became intimate with one another. As he kissed her over and over again, in between breaths, he could feel his heart jumping against his ribcage, beating faster and harder as he grasped what this was going to lead to.

His hands caressed her face before it gently circled around her neck, feeling her pulsing arteries that voiced her apprehension and excitement. He smiled against her lips before he abruptly pulled away so he could grab her body and quickly prop her on his lap. His kisses trailed from her mouth, to her neck, and eventually to the skin of her breasts as his hands worked to fully open her shirt.

Shizune bit her lip as she felt his tongue taste her skin and his deft hand begin to fondle her other breast. "Kaka-" her voice strained as he kissed her taut nipple through the thin fabric of her bra.

Kakashi buried his face in between breasts, kissing her hot skin, as his hands peeled her shirt off her body. He leaned back into her face and kissed her ear before whispering, "You're beautiful…."

She kissed the top of his head before she pulled him back in for another kiss. "Do you have any… condoms?" she asked.

Without replying, Kakashi reached back to his side drawer and pulled out two packets of condoms. "We were given them after our sex ed class…." he said, half-smiling. "I didn't think I would actually use them. You know, I thought they were going to expire on me."

"Keep the other one out just in case." Shizune suggested, pulling Kakashi's shirt off of him. She softly pushed her hand against his chest, silently ordering him to lie back down on the mattress. She began to plant lovebites on his pectoral muscles before descending down onto his lightly chiselled abs. With each kiss she branded him, she felt his muscle contract. She smirked to herself when she heard him begin to groan.

Before she could begin to unzip his jeans, he pulled her back up and flipped them around so he could be on top. He fitted in between her legs nicely as she spread them enough to swallow his weight. He brushed her hair away and kissed her again as his hand drifted downwards and under her skirt.

* * *

As soon as Tsunade opened the door to her apartment, she was pushed inside and thrown against the wall before her gasps were silenced with a rough kiss. Her wrists were quickly encircled and pushed against the wall, above her head, as his tongue enthusiastically intruded into her mouth. She attempted to kiss him back, but he drew away to leave her panting and wanting more.

"Kiss me…" she pleaded.

He watched her tantalising breasts heave in her tight dress, entranced at how sexy she looked pinned against the wall, pleading for more of his touch. How can he deny someone like her? He hiked her leg up and around his waist as he leaned back in, pressing his erection against her inner thigh, voicing his desires through body language rather than words, and watched her drunkenly grin. He relented and kissed her, surprising her when he sucked her tongue deep into his mouth, causing her to feel shivers reverberate through her body.

His deft hands quickly worked to divest her from her dress, leaving her only her undergarments in mere seconds. Tsunade did the same: unbuckling his belt, and tugging his trousers open before tearing his dress shirt off.

He examined her body as his hand stroked her breasts and her lightly toned stomach. "You're amazing. You're more than what I imagined." He undid her bra and quickly seized her left breast with his mouth as he twisted her taut nipple with his other hand. His tongue eagerly lapped on her nipple, biting her crinkled flesh, before eagerly sucking on it with intense hunger. He met her eyes as he gazed up and grinned. "You're incredibly sexy…." his tongue branded her skin with his saliva as licked his way down to the hem of her underwear. "Tsunade…." He kissed her womanhood through her lacy panties. "You're perfect."

She trembled at his touch. It has been a while since she was touched there like that. Jiraiya never really liked getting down on her, even though he was insistent in her giving him a blowjob. He was always concerned about his needs and his wants, to the extent she would feel unsatisfied after their sessions of fucking.

But with Kaora…. She bit back her moan when he kissed her inner thigh, purposefully prolonging her anticipation. "Do you want me to eat you out, Tsunade?" he asked with a devilish smile.

"Yes…"

"What?"

" _Yeeess…."_ she hissed, desperate for his touch. "Please, Kaora. I want you."

"Lead us to the bedroom." He requested, standing back up.

"Kaora… Just…."

"The sooner you show me where it is, the sooner I will be able to satisfy you, Tsunade." He promised earnestly, kissing her lips with enough intensity to sate her hunger for the time being.

She nodded before she led him to her bedroom. He walked behind her, appreciating the curves of her rear, that was bathed in the moonlight that shone through her windows, bounce slightly as she strutted in her stilettos. Her thin laced thong left nothing to the imagination, showing the exact amount of skin he needed to see just how heavenly her hourglass body was.

Once at her door, he swivelled her around and lifted her up by her ass. He kissed her again as he maneuvered into her darkened bedroom, traipsing in lightly so he wouldn't run into any of her furniture.

However, by pure miscalculation and urgency, he accidently pushed her against her bedside table instead of the wall he thought was there. Tsunade fell out from his arms and crashed into her bedside lamp and toppled over her drawer and banged against the wall. A sudden sharp sound of glass breaking then echoed in the still apartment.

* * *

"Have you gotten it in?" Shizune asked, staring at her equally naked partner who had his back against her as he tried to slip his erect member into the condom. After waiting for another while, she leaned in. "Kakashi?"

"I-I go-got it… I got it." He claimed, jumping back into bed with her. He awkwardly positioned himself in between her legs, placing soft kisses all over her body to ease her into what was to come. "Can I…?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes for confirmation.

When she nodded, he shifted a little bit and guided his member into her wet cavern. Slowly and with enough delicacy, the tip of his cock penetrated and spread her labia open. He groaned as her womanhood clenched around the tip of his member, welcoming it. He leaned forward and pushed the entirety of his member into her, elapsing a groan lost in pure pleasure as he felt the hot, sweet depths of her pussy.

Shizune wrapped her arms around his back and nodded, giving him further confirmation to continue. His hips rolled, thrusting his member in and out of her in quick succession. But her sudden cry of pain alerted him, causing him to stop immediately.

"Shizune, a-a-are you okay? What did I do?" He frantically asked, looked at his girlfriend's pained expression. "We can stop."

She shook her head. "Keep going," she then said.

"But…."

"It might get better if we keep going. I mean, why would people keep having sex if it was painful, right?" She used one hand to push his face down against hers so she could kiss him. "Keep going, Kakashi."

He began to thrust in again, slowly and gently, with his hand interlaced with hers. But with the third thrust, Shizune's legs clamped against his hips as she tried to silence her pain. "Shizune…" He pulled out of her and turned on the lamp beside his bed. His eyes quickly widened when he saw her try to conceal her tears. "H-Hey… Shizune…" he pulled her into his arms and examined her face carefully. "You're hurt…."

"I-I'm fine…"

"You're crying, Shizune." He used his thumb to wipe her tears away. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't…" she nuzzled her face in the crook of his shoulder. "I don't want you to think that, because you didn't. We can keep going, Kakashi. Honestly…"

"We _can't_!" he protested, pulling away from her.

"Why not?"

"Have not seen how much pain you were in? Shizune… I can't. You're tensed and it's now clear that you don't want this." He ruffled his hair and sat on the edge of the bed. "You don't have to force yourself, Shizune."

"Of course I do!" She screamed back, remembering what Hanare had told her earlier that night. "I've been selfish in this relationship. I've never given you anything. And you've given me the most that you can. I just wanted to please you…. to show you that I'm good enough for you."

"Good enough for me?" He echoed, frowning. "Kami, help me…." he muttered under his breath. "I have already said that you _are_. Shizune, just what do you think of me?"

She looked at him and then back down. "You're perfect…"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I'm _not_ perfect! And you don't have to try being the perfect girlfriend, Shizune! I like you the way you are. I like _us_ the way we are. I have constantly told you over and over again that I do not want to pressure you into anything you didn't want to do. Not until you're ready. Why can't you believe that?"

"Because you're Hatake Kakashi. You need someone who can constantly light a fire in you, who can excite you. Who can keep you _invested._ And me, a conservative girl, can't give you that excitement. Maybe Hanare can, but I can't. I'm not a model! I'm not experienced in sex. I can't give you that standard of perfection, Kakashi!" She cried, echoing the words Hanare had told her back at the photoshoot.

"Do you _really_ think I'm perfect?" he asked, crestfallen. "Is that all you really see in me?"

"Kakashi…"

He got off the bed and slipped back into his boxer shorts. "I'm _not_! Alright?" He reached into his bookshelf and pulled out some dirty magazines that he concealed in a hardcase. "If I'm so perfect, then how come I also find myself invested in things like this? If I'm so perfect, how come I have urges to watch online porn? Surely, I wouldn't be dabbling in a 'dirty' activity such as that, right?" He moved to the other side of the room and gestured to the guitar he had hanging up on the wall. "If I'm so perfect, then how come I don't have the patience to learn to play the guitar? You know, being perfect means that I should be talented at _everything_ and be this clean-cut individual.

"But I'm not! I'm not perfect! Everyone in school can't seem to grasp that - teachers, students and _friends_ \- I'm just trying to live the best that I can. I don't always make the right decisions, I make stupid choices, I'm not always in the best mood, and I can be a shitty person to the people I love."

Kakashi sighed and looked at Shizune with an unreadable expression. "And if I was perfect, you wouldn't be having all of these insecurities. I would have been able to pick up on them from the get go and reassured you earlier on. But I didn't…. I just thought that everything was fine when, clearly, it wasn't." He bowed his head. "I'm not even a 'perfect' boyfriend for you…. I'm sorry..

"Stay here for the night. I'm going to sleep downstairs." He pulled the sheet up to further conceal her body. "Goodnight, Shizune."

"Are you angry?" she asked, keeping him from walking away by holding him by his wrist.

"No…" he replied, planting another kiss on the crown of her head. "I'm not angry. But I think it's best if we slept in different rooms for the night. Is that alright with you?"

She nodded, sinking lower down on his bed. "Yeah… that's fine."

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

"Are you alright, Tsuande?" Kaora frantically asked, running back to the entrance of her bedroom so he could find the light switch. Once some light was shed in her bedroom, he saw that a picture frame had been smashed into pieces whilst her lampshade had come apart on the wooden floor.

He helped Tsunade up on her feet before he rushed out to the kitchen. "Do you have a brush or some sort so I can clean that mess?" he asked out loud but his question fell on deaf ears.

Tsunade knelt down in front of the picture frame that was facing downwards on the floor. She wiped the fragments of glass off from the photograph and picked it up. Upon turning the photo around, she felt her heart sink as the feeling of betrayal and regret sank into her consciousness. "Dan…" she gasped, staring at the photograph that contained her and Dan on his graduation day of becoming a doctor. His piercing green eyes stared straight into her honey eyes, judging her and looking hurt at what she was about to commit.

She had always avoided this photograph since his untimely death, gradually being able to naturally ignore its presence on her bedside table. Until she completely forgot about its existence, sitting there, facing the wall instead of her bed. However, she could never bring herself to hide it or throw it out, because that side of the bed was Dan's. He was the one who put that photograph on that bedside table.

The thought of him still hurt her. There was still a dull ache in her heart whenever she was reminded of him. She thought she was getting better, and was starting to move on, but she now realised that she had just been avoiding her feelings all this time. By ignoring and numbing her feelings, she was able to live on without Dan. But she was still far away from getting the closure she desperately needed.

"I found it!" Kaora shouted, running back into the room with a brush and a dustpan. But he paused upon seeing the blonde curled up on the floor, silently sobbing as she painfully held the picture against her bosom. "Tsunade…"

"I-I can't do this…." she cried. "I-I-I can-can't…." She was too hysterical to form her sentences coherently. "I-I-I…. sor-so-sorry."

Kaora looked at her with a sympathetic look on his face. "It's alright." He crouched down beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Shhhh… It's fine, Tsunade." He softly said, gently rubbing her back to give her the emotional support she needed. "Take deep breaths."

Tsuande tried to regain composure by regulating her breathing, but her sobs cracked her composure and reduced her back into a bubbling mess. She held onto him as if her life depended on it, and sobbed. Her heart ached and her mind became scrambled with emotions she has tried to contain and keep unwraps all this time.

* * *

"How's Tsunade?" Orochimaru quickly demanded answers upon rushing to her apartment when Kaora called Mei to come and help Tsunade calm down. "Where is she?!"

"She's asleep…." he calmly responded, allowing the raven-haired man to enter. "Although, I can't take credit for that. She just became too exhausted to stay awake." He pocketed his hands and allowed his shoulders to sag as he gave a dejected sigh. "I wasn't able to do anything while she was hurting. I'm sorry, Orochimaru-san."

Orochimaru entered her bedroom and saw that she was now clothed and sound asleep, albeit with a painful expression on her face. He quietly approached her and sat on the edge of the bed before he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Thank you for looking after her, Kaora-kun."

"I knew I couldn't just leave her." He was leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom, retaining a respectable distance away from the duo, appreciating his care for her. "I just wish that I could have done more to help her…."

"You've done plenty."

"What happened?! Is she alright?!" Mei frantically asked, rushing into the apartment. She trudged through the open spaced-living room and looked in to check on Tsunade. "Oh, honey…" she whispered, gazing at the sleeping blonde. She then looked at Kaora and went over to give him a hug. "Thank you…" she said earnestly, tightening her embrace around him. "Thank you for making sure she would be okay until we got here."

"It's no worries. Since you guys are here….. Is it alright if I slip out?" He politely asked. "I asked my friend to drive me back to my place. If you guys don't want anything else, can I go?"

"Sure, sure. Goodnight, Kaora." Mei smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Have a safe journey home. I'll catch up with you some other time - over brunch, perhaps?"

He returned her smile and nodded. "Sure. That would be lovely." He bowed at Orochimaru and waved his goodbyes. "I hope to see you guys soon."

Once the door was shut, Orochimaru released his prolonged exasperated sigh. "I thought she was getting better…." he said, breaking the silence between him and Mei. "She hasn't had an episode like this since his funeral."

Mei sat down on the opposite side of the bed and stroked through Tsunade's hair. "She must have felt guilty. Judging by the look of this apartment - and the fact that she hasn't moved out of it - she hasn't been able to fully let Dan's presence go." She nodded at the closet she knew was his. "No doubt in my mind that that's still filled with his clothes."

"It is.." Orochimaru confirmed.

Mei then looked at the chained necklace that had a ring slotted into it, that was sitting on her bedside table. She picked it up and examined the engraving inside of the ring, confirming what she already suspected - that was Dan's engagement ring. And she has seen Tsuande wear that necklace quite often, showing that she hasn't fully accepted his untimely death yet.

She solemnly looked at her friend, and then up at Orochimaru. "At least she hasn't tried again to…. you know…"

"Harm herself?" Orochimaru finished. "Thankfully she hasn't."

"Let's spend the night here…" Mei suggested. "God knows she'll need some company when she wakes up."

"Yeah." He agreed, pulling up the covers of her bed to fully cover her. They both quietly moved out of the bedroom, keeping the door wide open so they could check up on her. He allowed Mei to walk out first before he looked back at his dearest friend with saddened eyes.

"Goodnight, Tsunade."

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! **Guest** and **U3Fan** , thank you for your feedbacks! I'm glad you loved the previous chapter! :D Reviews keep me motivated in giving out updates! And I greatly appreciate them!

xox


	18. Chapter 18

_Dedicated to JayBaby27104_

 **LifeLine**

At the break of dawn, when intrusive sunrays peeked through her curtains, Tsunade begrudgingly awoke from her deep slumber. She squinted at the light that seemed to be lasering through her cornea, making her hangover worse than it already was. With a groan, she attempted to sit up and lean against the headboard of her bed. She sat there, in question of what had transpired the night before. How did she get into her nightwear? Did she sleep with anyone?

As she tried to rummage through her foggy mind, she heard her bathroom door close slowly. At that very moment, her heart stopped and her mind clicked into place. She remembered coming home with someone, remembered having her clothing removed, remembered being up against the wall. A myriad of pieces of memories from last night flashed through her consciousness, but they were in such disarray that she couldn't comprehend them.

Slowly, she tiptoed out of her bed and towards her bathroom door. She suspected that whoever was using her shower would know some answers. For one, she wanted to know who she was with last night. She maneuvered around her bedroom with deliberation and intense focus. Her motor skills were greatly impaired and the throbbing ache in her head wasn't remedying her problem.

When she reached her living room and was adjacent to the bathroom door on her right, she screamed in total shock and confusion. There, right in front of her - in nothing but a towel around his waist - was Orochimaru. The shrill of her scream rang throughout her apartment, stunning even the likes of her stoic friend.

He looked at her, bemused. "What?" he asked.

"W-W-Why are you in my apartment?" Dread filled her face next, and she jabbed a finger at Orochimaru, as she covered her mouth in shock. "We didn't…. No. Oh, god! Please tell me we didn't have….." She couldn't even finish her sentence without having the urge to vomit. (Then again, that may just be her hangover.)

"No, we didn't." Orochimaru sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't tell me you don't know what happened last night?"

Tsunade grimaced then shook her head in dismay. "I-I can't process it properly. All I remember is…." That she was adamant in letting loose, removing her teacher garb, and letting herself breathe without any restraints. She wanted to get drunk, to have a spontaneous hookup with a man she barely knew, and then go about her life. All she wanted was to shed her authoritative figure she had to wear, marking papers, scolding students for saying or doing things she would also do, and living a life she didn't want to live.

"You went home with Kaora-san last night. Do you remember him?"

"Hmm…." The name did sound familiar. Upon repeating his name in her head, memories of him popped into her mind. They made out a _lot_ of times in the club. She also recalled the cab drive to her apartment, where urgency and intense feeling of lust couldn't bind them apart anymore; their lips and their hands found each other, giving the cab driver a bit of a show through his rear view mirror. They came into her apartment, already in disarray and ready to have their clothes stripped off from one another. After that, however, things got a bit hazy.

"Did we have sex?" she asked. Her memories thus far could have only led up to one outcome. But knowing that Orochimaru might have spent the night told her otherwise. Something happened for him to be here.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'? Oro, it's either we did or we didn't."

"I'm not clear on the details, Tsunade - I wasn't here during all of _that_. But during your heated session, something happened that led to Mei and I being called over here by Kaora-san. He made sure that you were clothed and hydrated before you drifted off to sleep, to lessen your subsequent hangover."

"D-Do you know what happened?"

Orochimaru's features softened before he leaned against the bathroom door. "You started crying hysterically because of Dan."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "W-What? D-Dan? Why would I…." She couldn't find it in herself to protest. Not because she recalled memories that told her otherwise, but because she knew it in herself to have a soft spot for a man like Dan. He was her lover, after all.

Orochimaru walked into her bedroom and came back to her a few seconds later. He gave her a photograph: the same one that was smashed out of the picture frame. "This is what triggered you." His lips thinned in dismay as he watched Tsunade look at the picture of her and her lover. "After this, he couldn't stop you from crying. So, he called us. And now we're in the present."

Tsunade traced Dan's face with her thumb, and she smiled meeklessly. "This was the day he proposed to me," she recalled. "After he graduated Med school, he took me to our favourite restaurant; his family was there, so were his friends. I didn't suspect a thing. I didn't even pick up on his nervousness…" She sniffed back, to keep her tears at bay, as she continued to reminisce. "When he suddenly got on his knee and proposed, I couldn't help but think that I was the luckiest woman alive to have someone like him."

He put his arm around her and pulled her in slightly against his side. "I remember…" he softly said. "You were glowing that night you showed your ring off to me - and anyone who cared to look at your insanity. I've never seen you smile so much in my life. You were in Cloud Nine, and I knew that marrying Dan would mean that you would always be in Cloud Nine."

"So did I…."

"You'll find love again, Tsunade."

"What if I don't? What if having one - _true -_ soulmate is true, and Dan was mine? Wouldn't that mean he was my one and only?"

"You don't believe in that, do you?"

"I don't know what to believe…."

"I have never subscribed to the belief that one person is _made_ specifically for another. Having a belief that someone is _perfectly_ moulded for us and our personality, just defeats the true essence being human - _growing._ That is the beauty of relationships: learning to grow into your best versions for one another, and for yourself. Humans never stay the same, Tsunade. Each day, each conversation, each smile, laugh, and tears we share all account into our essence as human beings. They will change the way we think, speak and interact. For better or for worse.

"Think about it, you're not the same person as you were back when you first met Dan. Granted, you were fourteen and you're now twenty-four. Not only has time had an impact on you, but Dan's soft and gentle presence has also softened out your sharp edges."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Are you insulting me?"

"I'm insulting your fourteen year old-self who didn't know better. Who constantly spoke her mind when it was inappropriate to do so."

Tsunade elbowed his side, making him suck the air he breathed out back in. "That was my fourteen year old self telling you to shut up."

* * *

Kakashi didn't sleep that night. His eyes were fixated on the fireplace that wasn't even lit, as his attention was drawn to the rhythmic ticking of the clock pinned on top of the fireplace. Daylight had broken through by the time he had felt fatigue in his system, but his itinerary for that day kept him from falling asleep.

He remained on the couch, with his arm behind his head, and he replayed on how the night unravelled for him and Shizune. The constant regret that he had was choosing to push through with his own selfish desire when she expressed that she was interested. He should have insisted that they talked about it first, to fathom the weight of what they were about to do. Sure, losing their virginities was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things, but it was a heavy burden for their relationship. How are they going to get past this?

He didn't know how he was going to remedy the situation. Shizune had acted on her insecurities and impulsion instead of desire, whereas he acted on his innate feelings of wanting to experience something that is too taboo for some people to say or publicly confess in liking. In a way, he exploited her weakness and used that to his advantage to live out his fantasy.

He shouldn't have jumped onto the wagon so quickly, so soon, without taking her feelings into account. He should have noticed that something was odd about Shizune after his photoshoot, and he should have brought that up with her. They should have talked about themselves - how they truly felt - before they did something as rash as having sex. Last night has changed their dynamic, shifting them further away from each and ruining the progress they had made. Things between them were fine until last night.

He regretted every second of it. First times were supposed to be special and with someone you deeply loved. While he wasn't in love with Shizune, he felt a special connection between them that could blossom into something as strong as love. Maybe he should have waited until their juvenile feelings matured to love before they dabbled in such an act.

If only he could turn back time….

He shook his head and fixated his attention back at the monotonous clicking of the clock. It was fruitless trying to take back time, dwelling on the what-ifs. At the end of the day, every screw up that happened last night, _happened._ He has no choice but to accept the consequences and move on. He was sure that if they both approached the situation in a rational manner, they will be able to salvage their relationship. No matter how broken it is now.

He shifted on the couch and laid on his side, still deep in contemplation. He didn't know how to approach the situation with Shizune. Should he just casually drop it in while they're having breakfast? Should he apologise to her the moment she comes down? What should he do?

He groaned in frustration. Taking an entrance exam would be easier than this. At least he knew that there was a right answer in every scenario, but with this, he was left in uncertainty and forced to act on instinct. Instinct that he lacked since he was also a novice at handling relationships.

He continued to toss and turn on the couch for a couple of seconds before he shoved himself off and and onto his feet. He started pacing back and forth in his living room, befuddling even his dog whose eyes tracked him with pinpoint precision, in deep thought. After a small idea hit him, he stopped moving about and looked into the kitchen space that was adjacent to his living room from across the hall.

Of course! Food. That could remedy the awkwardness between them. He'll just have to follow up with their serious conversation afterwards. He rushed into the kitchen and rummaged through his cabinets for the ingredients he needed.

He then started whisking some flour, eggs, oil and salt into a smooth batter. Shizune told him that pancakes glazed with honey and decorated with strawberries always perked her mood up. Maybe this will do the trick?

After a few minutes of meticulous preparation of a three-tiered pancake lathered in honey and embellished in strawberries, Kakashi finished the plate with a scoop of strawberry ice cream on the side. He placed her breakfast, cutleries and fresh orange juice on a oak tray.

He smiled at the result. He was more confident now.

He softly knocked on his bedroom door. "Shizune," he called. "I'm coming in." He gave a few seconds between them before he twisted the door knob and allowed himself entry. "I made you some pan -"

His eyes traced around his room, darting from his bed to every corner of his bedroom, but he found it empty of her presence. "Shizune?" he called out again, placing the tray aside on his desk. He paced around his room before he went to the bathroom. Again, it was empty.

Upon returning to his bedroom, he saw that his window was open. It didn't take another second until he pieced everything together.

She left him.

* * *

After being forced into the shower by Orochimaru, Tsunade dressed herself in her casual clothes for the day, without the real intention of going out that day. But knowing Orochimaru, he was going to force her to talk a walk with him. Since that time still had to come, she cosied herself up in her wooly turtleneck jumper and washed mom jeans on her couch, sipping some green tea to cure her hangover.

Orochimaru was sat on the other end of the couch, typing away his termly reports about his classes. Since Tsunade had busied herself in marking mock tests, she was completely behind in handing back reports back to the headmaster. The thought of it has completely elapsed her mind a couple dozen times, causing her to not be on the headmaster's good side. Then again, ever since he has accused her of being " _too feminine"_ at work, despite her abiding to their dress codes, she has not been on good terms with the old man.

"How's your head?" Orochimaru asked lightly, pausing from his typing to glance over at her.

"Better. The echoing sound has stopped."

"Good," he nodded, resuming his typing. "That means we can talk a walk around the park later this afternoon."

Tsunade groaned. "I'm not a dog that needs to be walked, Oro."

"You _need_ fresh air, Tsunade. And don't get smart with me and say that you can just stick your head out of your window to get a whiff of air."

She narrowed her eyes, unamused at how he was able to read her thoughts. He has a knack of doing that - saying what she was thinking of saying before she could actually say it herself. She resumed drinking her tea, displeased at how quickly she lost that conversation. Normally, she would be able to quip back at him, but that wasn't the case for today. Her mind was still recovering from all of the alcohol she had ingested.

"Also, Mei is dropping by."

She quirked her eyebrow. "Mei?"

"Yeah. _Mei._ "

"I know her, idiot. But why is she coming over?"

"Because she was here last night, witnessing your atrocious self. She just wants to check up on you."

"Is that _really_ necessary?" She didn't feel like talking to other people today.

"It's the least you can do to ease her worry for you." He checked his watch. "She'll be here in thirty minutes; she had to hurry back to her studio to retrieve some of her things."

"I'm surprised that she's quite active this morning, considering that she had a lot to drink last night."

"Mei was more responsible than you, Tsunade. She didn't drink an entire Prosecco bottle by her herself, and she didn't have several jaeger bombs on top of other alcoholic beverages," Orochimaru noted matter-of-factly, whilst shaking his head.

Tsunade clenched her jaw, refraining herself from having a comeback. In hindsight, she should have dialled down the amount of drinks she consumed that night, especially since she hasn't drank alcohol in a long period of time. Her liver was probably in tears from all of the alcohol she consumed last night, cursing her habits once more. For someone who aspired to be a doctor, she sure was careless about the repercussions alcohol brought onto her body.

"But, Tsunade…" Orochimaru continued, "I'm glad that you let yourself loose. It made me happy to see you without any restraints. Of course, lack of alcohol would have been preferred, but I'm glad nonetheless."

She rolled her eyes before she pillowed her head on his chest. "You should have started with that instead of your lecture," she mumbled, snuggling up to him.

"That wouldn't have been fun." Orochimaru smirked, keeping his arm around her whilst his other hand played through her soft hair. "You know I love getting a reaction from you."

She pouted. "You're just mean."

"And you're easily exploitable for an explosive reaction."

She nudged at him for his remark, even though she knew he was telling the truth.

"Did you talk to Jiraiya last night?" he then asked.

"Why would I want to talk to that fool?" As expected, her voice turned rigid and colder. She never did like talking about Jiraiya when they are together. It was as if she wanted to forget that he was ever a part of them. But, even if that was the case, Orochimaru knew that Tsunade still harboured a soft-spot for someone like him. Even after he's betrayed her in the past.

"He told me that he's still in love with you." Orochimaru confided, feeling her stomach clench for a second as she caught her breath.

"...Is that so?" she finally replied after seconds of remaining quiet. "He sure loved fucking that woman in the bathroom last night to be ' _still in love'_ with me. That fucking stupid man, thinking he can get through by trying to look pitiful and damaged. If he was so in love with me then…." She clicked her tongue, refraining from finishing her sentence.

"Don't let him get to you." He kissed the crown of her head and pulled her in for a tighter embrace. "Knowing Jiraiya, he's just having another episode of pining over you, and he will do and say anything to get your attention."

"You think so?"

"Well, isn't that what he did to you when he found out about your engagement? Or when he saw you and Dan for the first time."

She sighed as she pinched her nose bridge, exhausted from all of the drama Jiraiya was throwing her way. "I don't know what to give him for him to be like he was before. Jiraiya changed when he found out about Dan and I. And I can't help but think if I should have approached this situation in a different way; I should have told him before he _saw_ us. I -"

"You are not at fault for Jiraiya's actions. He's acting like a child."

"I didn't know…."

"Hm?"

"I didn't know that he loved me back then."

"Would things have been different had you known?"

"Perhaps. But that idiot was too late. I met Dan, and I fell for him so hard that anything Jiraiya would have done wouldn't have woken me up from the dream Dan gave me. But I _should_ have been more careful when it came to Jiraiya. I should have picked up on his protectiveness over me, his unconventional affection for me, but I took it all for a platonic display of affection."

"Again, none of this is not your fault. _How_ could you have possibly known for sure if he didn't tell you? He only told you in spite, to create rifts in your relationship with Dan. He didn't do it out of love for you. So, _don't_ think any of Jiraiya's reckless actions is your fault."

"Some of it is…" she said back, gazing up at his golden eyes. "I slept with him. God, I took advantage of his feelings for me and used that as my pain relief from the grief I was feeling when Dan died. I made him think that there was a possibility for us. But there never was."

"Tsunade…."

"I wish I could take it all back. _All_ of it. I didn't mean to cause Jiraiya such grief. And if Dan and I didn't happen, then…. Then he would still be al-"

" _Don't_ say it." Orochimaru sternly spoke. "Don't you dare say something like that. You shouldn't put the blame all on yourself! Jiraiya's a grown up man who should know how to respond to his emotions rationally. And Dan - he was crazy about you! I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted his life any other way if it meant not spending it with you. So, please Tsunade, don't think like that."

She pursed her lips. "I wonder….." she softly said, "I wonder what Dan would say to me right now."

Orochimaru looked at the blonde, who had grown distant in that moment, and looked back down at his laptop's screen. He wished he could answer that, but he didn't know Dan well enough to say anything in his stead. During his relationship with Tsunade, Orochimaru felt jealous. Not because he was in love with Tsunade or anything, but because Dan was happy with Tsunade while Jiraiya and himself were left behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered friendship. Because Dan whisked Tsunade away, Jiraiya changed. And when that happened, their group fell into pieces. All of their memories as a group, their laughter, their special moments, were shattered. And yet, Dan was allowed to smile amidst it all.

Orochimaru remembered how bitter he was when he saw Dan's ignorance. Ignorant of the problem he caused by asking Tsunade out. But that bitterness gradually faded when he realised that Dan was only smiling for Tsunade's sake. He tried to be her wall: something she could rely on if she ever needed support.

Dan was fully aware of what had happened between Tsunade and Jiraiya. And while he didn't seem like it, he was supporting Tsunade throughout the entire ordeal, giving her the reassurance she needed to know that what she was doing was right.

He was her rock during in the midst of the tumultuous waves.

"I want to visit him, Oro…."

"Huh?" His ears perked at this.

"I haven't visited him since his funeral. I think it's time that I faced reality….. To gain my closure." She turned to face him, staring into the depths of his eyes, searching for support for her decision. "I want to see Dan."

* * *

After letting the bitter reality sink in, Kakashi decided to move on with his day without anymore delays. He had expected her to at least send him a measly text or a voicemail, but she didn't give him any of that. Instead, she completely blindsided him by jumping out of his window instead of taking the door. Was she that desperate to get away from him? Did she hate him now?

Kakashi received more questions than answers as he readied himself for the day. And he knew that none of them could be answered without Shizune. Since she was eager to escape from his house, he figured that she wasn't in the frame of mind to talk to him right now. Maybe for quite some time. He didn't know.

He straightened his trench coat's collar in front of his full sized mirror before he gazed at his bed. At least she had the goodness in herself to fix his bed before she left. That's something, he supposed. As he continued to fix on his presentation, specifically with the state of his hair, his phone started to vibrate on his bedside table.

Without even looking at the caller ID, Kakashi jumped on the call. "Hello?" he said in a hopeful tone.

" _Kakashi?"_

The brightness on his face faded. "Hanare…. H-Hi."

" _Are you at the studio yet?"_

He frowned. "No. Why?" He checked his digital clock. "We're not supposed to be there until ten." That meant that he still had an hour and a half till he had to undergo another shoot.

" _Okay. Good. I'm just a mess from last night. You wouldn't believe how crazy it was! You should have come, really. It would have been more fun with you there."_

Kakashi sighed. He wasn't really in the mood for any of this kind of conversation. "I'll see you at the studio, Hanare." He hung up on her before she could protest. It wasn't even a minute until he phone started buzzing again. He promptly answered. "What?" he sharply asked.

" _Not even a 'hello'? That's not a nice way to speak to people, Kakashi, especially to your boss."_

A sudden tidal wave of blood rushed into Kakashi's brain as he blushed hard in embarrassment. "M-M-Mei-sama! H-Hi. I-I'm sorry, I -"

She laughed, obviously just shrugging everything away. " _I'm only joking, Kakashi. Well, partly. But I'm just calling to tell you that I'm not going to be attending today's shoot. It will just be you and Hanare today - and the photographer, of course."_

"Oh… Why?"

" _I've got some personal matters I need to take care off. Don't worry, I have already talked to the photographer, and if there's anything you guys need, just call me. I'll be seeing the photos as they are being taken, anyways. So, if I don't see something I like, I'll be sure to drop in a word."_

"Alright. That's fine, Mei-sama."

" _Work hard, you two. Don't flirt too much. Alright?"_

"O-Of course not!" he stammered. "I'll do my best, Mei-sama."

" _I know you will, Kakashi-kun. Just do me a favour and keep Hanare in line today, okay? She was a mess last night, and I don't know if she'll be up to it today. If there are any problems, remember, just know I'm a phone call away."_

She sounded like a mother leaving her children with their babysitter for the first time. Kakashi admired how hands on Mei was with her employees, keeping a keen eye on their progress as models and making sure that they do not get ahead of themselves. But at the same time, she has such a calming presence that eases her people into loosening up and showing their true colours. She was Kakashi's ideal mentor and, frankly, he was grateful to have her to learn from.

" _Are you still there, Kakashi?"_

"O-Oh. got it, Mei-sama."

" _See you soon, Kakashi."_

"See you." He managed to say before the line cut off.

He bowed his head down before he huffed. Today was going to be a tough day; every minute is essential and he can't spend more time dawdling over his girlfriend. He has to make sure that the photoshoot goes as smooth as possible so he can catch the bus to the hospital. Saturdays are the only days he can properly spend time with his father.

Thankfully, he has been making strides in recovery since that ghastly incident, but the doctors are insistent in keeping him in the hospital for the time being. After all, he was still a fragile case. Any moment is an unpredictable moment for him. But with modern day technology, and with his medication, his movements have been quite fluid again. While he has been able to move around in the house before, he was often limited to only a few minutes. An hour, if he forced himself. Which was a feat in itself, considering that before all of these new medications arrived, he was bedridden and was forced-fed.

But, with the additional aid and constant supervision of doctors, Sakumo was looking better than he ever did. Perhaps he did need to be readmitted into the hospital to make further progress.

Maybe in a few weeks time, Kakashi thought, he wouldn't have to be so alone. His father can come home, and this home will be half-complete again.

Kakashi's lips pursed at the isolating thought. This is why he hated silence. His thoughts would always become too loud to ignore, often spreading negativity in his conscience and insecurity within himself. He hated how he would always lose to himself. He should know better by now, but his inner conscience would always get the better of him.

But he knew his inner voice wasn't wrong. He was alone. It was more apparent now. He held onto his phone with an iron grip, debating whether or not he should call Shizune. But why should he? Wouldn't he just be imposing on her? Surely she has better things to do than hear his petty voice. She did run out on him.

He grabbed his headphones and promptly played loud music to his ears, to purposely drown out his quiet condescending voice. But like nails against as blackboard, his inner voice scraped jaggedly throughout his mind, jeering at his pathetic reality.

" _You're all alone! Not even your girlfriend wants to stick around. Not even your father. Or you mother. Your friends, too. They'll leave you soon."_

Kakashi closed his eyes. "I'm fine. I'm fine," he muttered, holding onto the meaning on those words like his sanity depended on it.

 _I'm… not fine._

* * *

Tsunade was sat on her couch, sandwiched by two intruders - Orochimaru and Mei - who had the audacity to haul in their workload into her home, subsequently creating a whirlwind in her living room. Her eyebrows twitched as the simultaneous noises of typing wracked through her brain, making her ears ring.

"Hey, tell me…." She folded her arms as her vein popped in her temple, distressed by her friends' intrusion of her space. "...Don't you have your own houses to do your work in?"

"We do, but we're not leaving you here by yourself." Mei casually replied, eagerly typing away to finish composing her email. "After last night, Orochimaru and I just can't leave you. So, we took it upon ourselves to stay with you for a couple of hours."

"What she said," Orochimaru lazily said, preoccupied with his own research and sipping his coffee.

"Besides, you could use some company. It's not like you're going to be doing something exciting today. You're just not that kind of gal."

Tsunade's lips thinned at the brunette's remarks. They may have been true, but that didn't mean that she could just cut into her like that. It was like a sharp knife had penetrated into her insecurities, sending a sharp pain ebbing throughout her body.

"What are you even doing?" Tsunade asked Mei, leaning in slightly to her.

"I'm receiving the photos from the shoot last night. They want me to approve some of the photos before they ' _neaten'_ it up."

"Is that a nice word of saying photoshop?"

"Well…. _Yeah_." Mei shrugged. "Everybody needs some touch ups in life, to be picture-perfect for the public. You should know how this procedure goes, Tsunade - you have been a model before."

"I never paid much attention to the process. I just wanted to get my paycheck."

Mei rolled her eyes. "Figures." She started scrolling through her main apprentice's plethora of photos, approving those she thought were the best ones, and ignoring the rest to give a subtle hint to the editors that she didn't like the photos.

"She's pretty." Tsunade noted, sipping her second tea of that day.

"Isn't she? She's my little diamond." Mei practically fawned. "She's going to take after me, and maybe become the next face of my company. I mean, I don't plan on having kids. So, I'll have to rely on finding that perfect apprentice to take over me soon."

"You make it sound like you're going to die _real_ soon." Orochimaru bluntly stated, not bothering to cease his typing.

"I'm just being _prepared!_ But this girl, Hanare, has potential. She also has that flare that I wished I had when I was her age. Believe it or not, I was complacent to the competitive nature of modelling, and was often cast aside because of it. I had to learn, to force myself to act out of the ordinary, to get attention. It was really difficult."

"But look at where you are now. Companies are the ones chasing _you_ now. Not the other way round. That's a testimony to how far you've come." Tsunade smiled, feeling quite envious at how strong Mei has consistently been, fighting against discrimination and unprofessional pigs who think they can manipulate a model's success by blackmailing them into sucking their cocks.

Mei's lips curled slightly. "I never looked at it that way. But I suppose you're right. You know, you could have also made it big in this industry."

Tsunade scoffed. "I can't tolerate the modelling industry, Mei. Without having the same passion as you for modelling, I just felt imprisoned by cameras and makeup and costumes. I wouldn't have lasted in an industry that expects you to have everlasting beauty."

"I guess. But, what I find odd, is that you left modelling to pursue being a doctor."

"Yeah… and?"

" _And_ you didn't become one."

"I did. I finished my undergrad studies, so I am a certified general practitioner. However, I have not specialised in any fields, like most doctors do."

"Why not? Why did you leave _your_ passion?"

By now, Orochimaru's typing had stopped, as his attention was captivated by this question. He had asked the blonde that same question before, but she brushed it aside by approaching a new topic.

Tsunade looked at both of her companions who were eyeing her like a pack of predators. As much as she wanted to escape, she knew that she couldn't avoid this question forever. She played with the ring interlaced in her necklace before saying, "It's because I couldn't save Dan…."

"W-W-What do you mean by that?" Orochimaru asked.

"I _couldn't_ save Dan. It means exactly as it sounds. I couldn't save him. I was there when… he was admitted into ER. We were short on doctors that day; those who were there were already preoccupied with other surgeries. And I had just gotten out of my break when…. when…." Her eyes tightened as her mind recollected broken fragments of that incident. "Dan was admitted," she finished in a whisper.

"Tsuna…" Orochimaru placed his hand over hers.

Mei remained visibly quiet, not knowing if she should give her a chest-crushing hug or just a soothing caress.

"I tried so hard to save him. With all of the knowledge I had acquired from med school, I _tried._ " The pain of recollecting all of the memories she locked away in her heart felt raw and scarring. Her old wounds opened up once again, and she felt overwhelmed by the skin-deep pain she felt all at once. Her heart clenched like a trembling fist ready to slam a punch, and her eyes blurred behind the tears that welled up in her eyes.

It stung.

"Tsunade…. Tsunade, hey!" Their voices reverberated around her, but she couldn't focus herself on them anymore. Instead, they became an incoherent blur.

" _Dr. Senju!" One of the nurses hurriedly tugged at her sleeve the moment she had left the staff room._

" _W-What is it?" Tsunade asked, allowing the petite nurse to pull her down along the corridor._

" _We have an emergency! There is a young adult, male, who is in severe condition. He was caught in a serious car accident. And you're the only doctor available. I'm sorry, I truly am. But there is no one else, !"_

 _With haste, Tsunade doubled her strides and prepared herself for the worst. She managed to catch up with the team of paramedics who were pushing the stretcher along through the thin and narrow corridor. With a deep breath, she approached the team._

" _BP is 180/100. The pulse is 56. His respiration is a 10 and irregular." One of the medics amply informed her._

" _Alright. And the blood?" She asked, observing the heavily bloodied individual that defaced their appearance; she couldn't make out where his face started and where it ended in that bloody grime._

" _His. He's sustained a deep laceration in the head, and his arm has also seen better days." He motioned to the man's left arm that was bandaged up into position and protected in a thick cast. "I think he has sustained two bone distal fracture."_

 _The man winced as he tried to move on the stretcher, prompting Tsunade to softly place her gloved hand on his chest. "Sir, I need to you stay still for me. You're going to me okay. Just stay with me, okay?"_

 _He grimaced before he managed to muster out the strength to mutter, "Tsuna?", despite his disorientation._

 _Tsunade's face paled and her heart stopped dead. She felt her adrenaline and will power to save her patient dwindle away after a tsunami of self-denial plagued her. That couldn't be…. No. That wasn't Dan, was it? She must have heard him wrong. Dan was in the city right now. They have a date set up later tonight. He said he was looking forward to it. So…. So…. that can't be Dan. There's no way! Her Dan… Her Dan…._

" _Dr. Senju, we need you!" They demanded, with one nurse grabbing her by her forearm._

 _Once they found a spare room, they transferred the man from the stretcher and onto the bed on Tsunade's count. With heavy reluctance in her fibres, she cut the thin-stranded dressing that was around his head. And when the dressing came undone, she saw his pale hair stained in purple, confirming the biggest fear._

" _Dan…." she gasped, stepping back slightly._

" _Dr. Senju?"_

" _I-I-I know him…."_

" _Do you know his full name, by any chance?"_

 _She nodded. "Y-Yeah…. Dan Kato. He-He's m-my fiance."_

 _The room fell asleep for a second as they witnessed their doctor's face crumble in agony and pain. She was shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind, and her eyes were as wide as the owls' in the night sky. Her mind was in disarray and her body forgot how to function._

" _Dr. Senju!" One nurse vociferated. "We need you! He needs you."_

 _After swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded. "Alright." She went back to inspect Dan's cut in his head. "He's still bleeding pretty bad. I need you to hang two units of blood, and give me a plastic tray; we need to stop this bleeding."_

" _His breathing is still erratic," one informed._

" _Saline." Tsunade ordered, as she worked to close the wound._

" _He's still got glass shards in his wound."_

" _Suction."_

"Tsunade, take deep breaths." Mei's voice managed to seep into her consciousness. "Shh, shh. Calm down. Look at me. And _breathe._ "

Tsunade had buried her face in her hands as she heavily prespirated during her series of flashbacks. She couldn't control her laboured breaths, as everything seemed to float around her, making everything feel tighter. Even her lungs felt like it had a suction cup inside, taking in all of the oxygen it had, leaving her to hyperventilate like she did.

"I-I-I tried to save him…. I tried. But I couldn't. There were just too many problems for me to tackle. I-I-I couldn't function when I saw him. I tried to convince myself that he wasn't Dan, that he just looked like him. That, maybe, it was a dream. But it wasn't. I started to hear his heartbeat flatline; I tried to bring him back several times, but every single time, Dan would slip from my fingers. He didn't have the strength to hang on anymore. H-H-He…." She was beginning to ramble on aimlessly, muttering every word that flashed through her mind.

She couldn't gain control. She couldn't -

A sudden warmth on her cheek caused her to break out of her tumultuous thoughts - a raft was past onto her in the midst of the wild seas, not saving her completely but giving her a lifeline to take her fate by her own hands.

" _Breathe."_ Orochimaru calmly instructed, running circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, as his golden eyes kept a firm eye contact with her. "Breathe, Tsunade. Don't go back into your thoughts."

She blinked a couple of times, trying to fathom as to how the skeletons in her closet managed to break its way out. She had been doing so well these past few months, and yet, with one moment of weakness, she was hurled back into square one. Her progress, her progress, her _healing_ seemed to be undone by her second of weakness.

"A-A-Are you okay? H-Have you calmed down, now?" Mei asked, trying to keep her fright tight-lipped, to no avail. She was shaking as much as Tsunade was. This must have been the first time she's ever seen her like this - weak, vulnerable, _naked._

Tsunade clung onto herself as she bitterly looked away from their gazes. "I…."

"Tsunade -"

"I'm going out for a second."

"What. No! You can't." Orochimaru insisted.

She pushed his hand away. "I _need_ some air. But I want to be alone."

"In your condition? Tsunade, wait. No!" Orochimaru was scrambling for his shoes by the time Tsunade had slipped into her winter coat. Before he could intercept the blonde at the door, he was held back by another force. He looked over his shoulder and his hardened features immediately softened, "Mei…" he whispered upon seeing her forlorn expression.

"Let her go, Oro."

Tsunade stopped at the door, with her hand already around the door knob. She looked back before she proceeded to make her way out. "Thank you, Mei," she whispered.

* * *

It was a good call on Tsunade's part to take an umbrella with her because, just five minutes in her journey to the Leaf's National Garden, the darkened clouds above her began to pour gouts of raindrops onto the grey establishments around her.

She continued to pace herself through the rain, not minding when her feet sloshes through thick puddles of water. A part of her was eager to reach the gardens under this heavy downpour, so she could sit back and let nature muffle her inner turmoils that had lit a fire in her heart. She hoped the coldness of the rain will extinguish the flames in her chest; she was hopeful but also sceptical about the results.

Tsunade jostled past strangers, mainly couples, who were caught in the rapid fire of the rain pelting into their clothing, as she meandered through the garden that was now barren of its flowers and wildlife. All that was left were deciduous trees, already naked from their leaves, and flowers that have since wilted during autumn. Despite popular opinion that the garden looked its best during summer, Tsunade always found comfort in its vulnerable state during winter.

Everything looked barren and lifeless now. But at the right time, it will metamorphosize into something prepossessing, blooming in a myriad of colours and life. It will reach its peak and it will _thrive._ Tsunade always believed in life being like the seasons - it was almost inevitable for anyone to experience a moment in their life where it feels empty, hopeless and…. _Dark._ But after all of that misery and self-deprivation, there will be the first light. The light that catalyses the brighter days, the days of growth and self-love, which subsequently leads to a brighter future.

As things stood, Tsunade knew that she was in the moment of darkness. But she was hopeful…. Hopeful that she will also see her first light of salvation.

She trudged through the garden, with the sound of soft crunches of leaves under her feet as she carried on wandering deeper into the garden. By now, she hasn't seen a single soul walk her way. The rain must have scared them all away back to their shelters.

Upon reaching a wooden pavilion beside overgrown shrubs and bushes, Tsunade closed her umbrella and gave it a thorough shake to dry it off. Taking a break here shouldn't be too bad, she thought as she sat down on the wooden bench.

With a contented sigh, Tsunade watched the raindrops pitter patter against the asphalt walkway, relishing in her liberation with her own thoughts. Finally, she could hear herself again; the white noise in her mind has since faded away, giving her more space to herself.

She smiled. This was the fresh air she needed.

As she was about to close her eyes, she caught movement in her peripheral. She turned her head slightly and, to her disbelief, she was not alone. On the other side of the curved bench was another person, albeit disguised in a dark parka hood, she felt at ease in their presence. They must have just rushed in for shelter.

But as the person leaned their head back, she stared. He had his eyes closed and he didn't seem to sense her movements, either. It will made sense when she saw his headphones on his head; he must have the volume on high to not have noticed her footsteps.

Just when Tsunade caught herself lingering, so did the person. Their bloodshot eyes opened and immediately made contact with hers. Both eyes widened in shock.

"Senju-sama," Kakashi uttered, hushed.

"Kakashi…."

He lowered his headphones to loop around his neck. The uncomfortable look on his face made Tsunade realise that she must have invaded his personal bubble.

"I'm sorry, I'll just go to the next -"

"What? No."

Tsunade stopped from retrieving her umbrella and looked back at him.

"Stay," he insisted, relaxing a bit. "You won't find any other shelters nearby, anyways."

"O-Okay…" She leaned back, but this time her body felt rigid in position. While he was not looking at her, she felt tensed. The facade of being an authoritative figure dawned on her again. She cannot be herself when he's around; she's his teacher, and she must always keep a polished front to be a good example. She knew that she took her job too seriously, but keeping up a farce was easier than having her students see her at her lowest.

Kakashi stayed sat, with a book in his hand, silent. But after a few moments, Tsunade noticed that he wasn't flicking any pages nor did it seem like he was skimming the pages. No. He wasn't reading at all. Was he trying to keep a front with her, too?

"Is this fate?" he finally mumbled.

"Huh?"

"With you. It's as though Fate keeps bringing us together at our lowest moments."

So, he figured her out already.

"Perhaps it is," she replied.

The pitter-patter of the rain grew more incessant and aggressive as the seconds went by.

Kakashi gave a half-hearted smile, devoid of any mirth or amusement. "So, do you want to talk about what you're doing here?"

"If you will."

He shifted on the bench in a way so he would be facing her. He gave a heavy sigh before he made direct contact with her, revealing how dishevelled his appearance was: his eyes were red, his face was paler than normal, and he looked hollow. His lips curved slightly into a smirk. "Deal," he whispered, pocketing his book in his parka.

This is going to be quite cathartic.

* * *

A/N: A _huge_ thank you to JayBaby27104 for giving me some motivation to write this chapter up. :) Also thank you for taking your time to read my shit. It's very flattering.

xox


	19. Chapter 19

**Rain**

The rain's chaotic chants and thunderous echoes gradually faded into a sweet beckoning serenade as the raindrops began to fall in gentle waves, kissing the asphalt with gentleness as it created a rhythmic harmony, that isolated the two from the world around them.

As far as they were concerned, all that mattered was the two of them, and their sacred thoughts they held dear. The silvery shimmer the puddles reflected from the soft shine of the sleeping sun created, seemed to be, an impenetrable barrier for the two of them. It was as if this was the world reassuring them that this was a safe place to exchange secrets, to see each other bare and truly naked from lies and facades.

And yet, they were apprehensive.

The more they closed off their genuinity, the tenser the anxiety of the rain became. The tumbling clouds began to weep gouts of raindrops again, with the wild wind carrying them indiscriminately, warming the deafening silence between the two.

Tsunade found herself hesitating numerous times upon making an attempt to speak. She couldn't get the words to roll of her tongue, and her brain seems to frazzle every time she tried to collect her thoughts. Was this her body's natural defense mechanism from letting anyone, she was wary of, in? If that was the case, then why did her heart feel heavy with ambition to confide in him? Her _student._

This was unethical. They shouldn't have even done half of the things they have. They shouldn't be talking so intimately like this. She was his teacher, his senior; he was her student, and her junior. They lived in a world that contradicted each other. And yet, when they are alone, she felt at ease in his presence; she didn't see him as she should. Instead, she gravitated towards him, just like the raindrops bouncing off the ground right now - it was inevitable.

Again, she knowingly stopped herself from sparking their conversation. At that same moment, lightning spiked through the darkened clouds, and was followed by a violent clap of thunder. While most people would just shrug it off as a normal occurence to happen in the rain, Tsunade interpreted it as nature's way of scorning her hesitance.

"I have always liked the rain," said Kakashi. It was almost too hush that Tsunade didn't discriminate it quickly enough from the rain's rhythmic pat pat.

She instinctively caught his gaze, and she saw him wearily smile. "Why is that?" she asked.

"I just can't stand silence. As odd as it sounds, silence is too loud for my liking. But when it rains, I am able to ease myself from my thoughts without being too submerged into its toxicity. The pitter patter of the rain keeps me from going too deep into my thoughts, but it also encases me from my reality. To me, _this_ is my safe haven."

He spoke with such passion and deliberation that Tsunade knew he was easing her into trusting him. She believed every word he said and confided in her. While it wasn't much, it was still something to entrust in someone you barely know.

"Do you come here often?"

"Only when it's raining like this, because this place has the best view of the thunders plundering down onto the roofs of the skyscrapers. I find the thunderous claps to be quite calming in comparison to my tumultuous life." He let out a chuckle as he scratched his head. "I'm sorry for talking like this. You must be thinking that I'm being so melodramatic because of my hormones, and that my problems are not even that significant in the adult world."

"Not at all."

Kakashi's feigning stopped and he turned to her. He looked surprised at her curt response, even more so when he saw her empathetic expression for him.

"I've only heard vague details from the Headmaster about your life, but I can't even begin to fathom how you can work through all of it. Families, to me, are the most important foundation of relationships; it creates a precedent for you future relationships, be it with your friends or with your lover. Having a disorientated family always creates a rift in people, causing them pain and sorrow even if they don't know it. So, no, Kakashi, I do not think you're over exaggerating. You're right to feel pain and sadness."

His face softened from its stoicness, showing her just how valuable he held her words. His lips curved slightly as the wrinkles on his face eased. It was almost painful to see him indulge in her words the way he did. He must have always been told otherwise by the people in his life. His problems must have been swept to the side as juvenile and irrational - that he " _didn't understand the entire picture"_ yet.

Tsunade could see the pain in his eyes as he treasured what she told him, and she finally realised the gravity of her words. Not only has she validated his feelings, she has reassured him that it was alright to feel that way. He must have held everything together for so long that he could no longer feel what he really wanted to feel. He wore a suit of armour he believed would protect him, but little did he know that that suit of armour has already decayed and rusted away.

He was broken and vulnerable, but he stood tall amidst it all. In a way, he was like her. They were both living a lie they forced themselves to believe was the truth. Every second of vulnerability, they felt the undeniable truth creep into their subconsciousness, and they would drown themselves in denial and white noise to block out the deafening truth.

They were not _fine._

"Almost two years ago," Tsunade began to speak, "my life was turned upside down before I could even comprehend what had happened. The life I had built with the man I loved was taken away from me within a few minutes. Instead of trying to build it back up, I ran away. You can probably say that I'm _still_ running away to this day."

"What happened? I-If you don't mind me asking."

She let out a heavy exhale. "He was taken away from me, the only man I've let myself love. He died from a car accident. And I couldn't do anything to stop it, to keep him from leaving. I still remember the silence that dawned in the emergency room when he flatlined. I guess, that's why I'm also not fond of silence. It just reminds me of that day."

"Is that why you're not currently studying medicine?"

She nodded. "I don't trust myself enough to help other people. I…. just can't bring myself to do it anymore." Her hands were trembling as she saw the phantom traces of blood that belonged to Dan, covering her entire hands, reminding her that he had lost his life in her hands.

"I trust you."

She scoffed. "Kakashi, don't-"

"I'm not saying this to make you feel better. I'm only telling you the truth." He gazed back at her trembling hand before he looked back at her. "I trust you," he said again, but this time with more confidence in his words, as he leaned forward to place his hand over her own.

"Kaka-" she was about to protest, but the warmth of his hand silenced her. She only looked back at him in befuddlement. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"What are _we_ doing, you mean." He lithely corrected, even closer to her now. "Even I don't know myself. I know that _this_ is wrong, I'm not stupid. But why, why is it that the world keeps bringing us together? I wasn't looking for you, nor were you for me, and yet when we find each other, we feel… _satisfied_?"

Why indeed, Tsunade thought. Even if she had weeks to think about it, she knew that she wouldn't have an answer for it. All she knew was that she felt the same way. And while it was odd to feel like that with a person seven years her junior, she couldn't help it. Ever since he helped her from her impending demise, she had subconsciously let him in.

"I trust you, Tsunade." He repeated, with even more conviction. "I know that my thoughts are safe with you. I just hope that you feel the same with me."

She nodded. "O-Of course."

Kakashi smiled when she gripped his gloved hand back. "I'm glad. I won't lie, my first impression for you was that you're going to be a pain in the ass. I guess, for the first time, I was wrong."

"For the first time?" she quoted mockingly. "Don't be so big-headed. And don't think my first impression of you was very fond, either."

He chuckled, genuinely this time. "And look where we are now. It's a considerable improvement, if you ask me."

She laughed. "Others may regard this as _too much_ of an improvement."

"And yet I don't regret it. I like being without filter; with you, I can do just that. I feel that I can say just about anything without worrying about judgement."

"I do, too…." she replied in a whisper.

"Tsunade,"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When you were with your lover, did you ever have any doubts….. being with him?" He asked quite nervously, with his already rosy cheeks growing redder with fluster. "I-I-I mean… you know, romantically."

She raised a brow, not quite understanding what he was trying to ask her. But after a moment, she finally understood. "I take it you and Shizune has run into some kind of problem in your relationship."

"Y-Yeah…."

"To answer your question: no I never did. We did things when we felt it was right - for the _both_ of us. We moved at a comfortable pace, and we made sure that we didn't do anything too drastic until we felt that our relationship was genuine." She leaned back and allowed her stiff shoulders to sag in relaxation. "Why? Have you rushed into something you shouldn't have?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably before he nodded.

"And one of you wasn't ready."

"Thinking back now, we both weren't. And, well, things are now awkward between us. I-I don't know how to talk to her, or if I should even bring this up with her."

"Of course you should!" she snapped. "You need to communicate your problems with one another. God knows I had to do a lot of that with him. As much as I hated it, I found that it did help solve our problems. Kakashi, if she truly cares about you, she will listen to what you'll have to say. She won't give up on you so easily. Because love perseveres."

"I don't even know if we are to that stage yet. I care for her, yeah. But…. love? I've never even considered it."

"Then tell her that."

"What?! No. That'll make things worse!"

"At least she'll know the truth. You need to be on the same page; what if she's already in love with you? Nobody likes being in different levels of the relationship, Kakashi."

"What if this breaks us apart?"

"Then it means that this relationship wasn't going to last in the first place," she said, matter-of-factly. "This kind of conversation is supposed to help you guys grow as individuals. If any of you is too childish to cooperate in working things out, you are not compatible to begin with. But if you both rationalise, then you'll be able to make your bond grow into something called love."

"R-Right…."

She smiled. "You'll be alright, Kakashi. You two just need to be honest with one another."

"Yeah."

"What's with that face?" she frowned, leaning closer until her chest was pressed against his arm.

Kakashi stared at her before his eyes travelled southwards, but he was quick to avert his gaze where he shouldn't even think in laying his eyes on. But in their close proximity with one another, and their heated conversations, Kakashi's mind can't help but drift off where it shouldn't be; from her tantalising honey eyes, to her sinfully luscious lips, to her feminine hourglass figure. She was a _woman_ unlike the girls he's interacted with. She was mature, who has been through the trials of love he's currently experiencing, but like him, she was lost in herself.

"N-Nothing. Just….. Thank you."

She drew away from him with a smile, "You're welcome."

"I think you should go back to do medicine," he then said just as silence was about to dawn on them again. "I know in your hearts of hearts, that's what you want to do."

"Kakashi…."

"As great as you are as a teacher, I know that you belong helping people out there who are hurting. I know that you're afraid of going back because of what happened - I would be, too - but that shouldn't stop you from living the life you had built before. You shouldn't be living in a lie, Tsunade. It'll be difficult to come back to it, I know, but you should see how your eyes light up when you go into human physiology and medicine in class. You're clearly still invested in the field, so I don't see why you're depriving yourself. Someone out there could use your help, you know."

"I told you, I _can't_."

"You can't? Or you won't?" He asked, frowning. "You haven't allowed yourself a second chance. I think you should. At least, then, you'll truly find out if you ' _can't'._ "

Tsunade sighed before she shook her head. "I-I-I…."

"Isn't it worth a try?"

Upon looking back into his eyes, she felt undone. It was as if the courage and trust his words carried transferred into her, igniting the dim light she had residing within her. While a part of her still hesitated with the idea, there was now a part of her who wanted to validate Kakashi's words and belief in her. She couldn't understand it; how can _he_ have such an impact in her decisions and belief in life, when the likes of Orochimaru couldn't do anything to make her ultimatum waver? Yet, here he was, nonchalantly spouting this crap to her, and all of a sudden she felt a shift in herself.

"Don't hold yourself back anymore…." He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before he swept the tear she had accumulating in her eye. "D-Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

She sniffed back and wiped her tears. "N-No… it's not that." It felt like he had freed her past self from its restraints, and upon doing so, she was able to regain a bit of herself. Of the woman she used to be. It hurt to realise that she has deviated so much from the woman Dan loved, to be a person in denial of everything - herself and _him._

"I'm sorry…"

"N-N-No. Don't apologise. You've done nothing wrong, Kakashi." After she dried her tears away, she gave him a small smile. "I just…. never thought that I would _miss_ myself and who I was, you know. I've ran away from it all that I have forgotten how it felt like living that way. I've since lost touch with who I am as a person, it's almost frightening."

"It's never too late."

"No, it isn't…." She agreed. "So, I'll think about it."

"Huh?"

"About going back into specialisation in medicine. I had always planned on being a cardiologist when I was in med school. Perhaps, I should pursue that dream once again. Soon, maybe. I'm not sure. But I'll think about it - _really_ think about it this time."

"Cardiologist?" he asked. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I've always found the heart to be the most fascinating organ in the body. That, and I've had some personal encounters with it. My grandfather actually died from cardiac arrest when he was in his seventies. I didn't know what the hell it was until I was a little bit older. Ever since then, I just had this morbid interest into it."

"I see…."

"How about you? Have you decided what you're going to do yet?"

He hummed for an extended period of time, long enough for Tsunade to suspect that he was going to give her some half-assed idea. "I haven't really given much thought into it yet," he truthfully told. "But I am interested in medicine. The way you articulate your subjects in class is interesting enough, that I actually want to dabble into it. But there's also the thought of being an author, you know?"

"An author? I didn't know that you had the virtue of patience to be an author."

He laughed. "I don't! But I have always been fascinated at how people can bring things into life in their reader's minds. I just can't describe how much I'm in awe when someone manages to gain my entire attention, that I even forget to eat or sleep. I know it's the least likely profession I'll get into, but there is that small desire."

"Who's your favourite author?"

Kakashi stammered at the question. "Ummm…. Well…."

"Hm?"

"It's Jiraiya-sama," he finally said.

"Ah…"

"I don't know if you have read his works, but for me, it feels so real. The emotions of the characters, their trials and tribulations, are just so impactful that, as a reader, you can't help but feel what their feeling. I'm aware that you're going to scold me, because some contents in his books are too mature for my age, but -"

"I won't." She reassured. "Jiraiya has always been passionate about his works. He pours every single emotion that he has into those pages, even if that means giving his very fibre up, he would. Those books feel real, because it is real. The events may not be close to life, but the emotions you feel radiate from those pages are the emotions Jiraiya has once felt. Every single bit of it came from his heart - happiness, sadness, lust, love, anguish, and rage."

Kakashi listened to her words intently, astonished at how passionate she spoke about the man's work despite her current distaste for him. A part of him suspected grief intertwined in her voice as she described Jiraiya, but he wasn't sure enough to bring it up into conversation. Instead, he drank in her features as she solemnly recalled every memory she had of Jiraiya as an author.

"If I may…. What broke you two apart? You seem to know each other so well. With that kind of bond, it's almost hard to imagine that it could be broken."

"Everything in life can be broken, Kakashi. Even diamonds can break when exposed to an astonishing amount of pressure and force." She looked out to the picturesque garden that was located in the middle of the garden. "A lot of things happened to make our relationship as strained as it is now. But before all of that happened, Jiraiya was the person I confided in the most, because he was there when I needed him the most."

* * *

 _"Come on, Tsunade. You should really be going back." Jiraiya quietly said, keeping his umbrella directly above her so she wouldn't get more soaked. She had been kneeling in front of his grave for a good hour now. Not even Dan's relatives could pull her away from his tombstone._

 _He placed his hand on her. "Tsunade. Please come back into the warmth."_

 _"He's gone…. He's really gone." She sobbed. "I...I loved him. I really loved him, Jiraiya!"_

 _"I know you did," he gently spoke, kneeling down behind her in the mud, so he could wrap his arm around her. "None of this was your fault. So hush, Tsunade. He knew how much you loved him."_

 _"But Jiraiya…." She whimpered, shaking her head profusely as she denied her lover's death. Her heart felt heavy with grief, and her soul felt incomplete without him. She was hurting, bleeding phantom gouts of blood from her loss of her loved one, but upon feeling her friend's arm around her, she felt herself calm._

 _"You don't have to go back in there. We can go back to your apartment. So you can rest." He kissed her on her dampened hair. "Please, Tsunade, come with me. I'm worried sick about you just being out here."_

 _"O-Okay," she whispered. "Okay." In defeat, she allowed Jiraiya to pull her back up on her feet and into his car._

 _Jiraiya handed her the blazer he wore in the funeral earlier that day before he placed his hand on her thigh. "So, where do you want me to take you?"_

 _"Home," she said. "I just want to go home." She was exhausted, and the thought of interacting with other people she didn't really give two shits about made her even more weary. She just wanted some peace._

 _"Okay. I'll give you a ride home."_

 _Once in front of the apartment Dan had bought, Jiraiya escorted Tsunade into the apartment to make sure that she was actually safe. He took off her shoes and helped her disrobe from her wet outfit. She looked at him and caught the way he looked at her._

 _"What?" she asked. "This isn't the first time you've seen me like this."_

 _"I know…" he replied, putting her clothes into the hamper she had in the corner of the bedroom._

 _She saw him stare at her through the reflection of the mirror. He didn't look at her like that before. Suddenly, she felt naked. She quickly dressed herself in her silken robe so his prying eyes would disappear. She has known Jiraiya for a very long time, so being like this in front of him didn't bother her. But now…. after seeing how he looked at her…. she felt nervous._

 _"Jiraiya…"_

 _"What is it?" he asked._

 _"Can I trust you?"_

 _He laughed it off at first. "What kind of question is that?"_

 _"Can I?" she asked, insistently._

 _"Of course you can." He reassured. And his word alone was good enough for her._

 _She nodded before she sat at the edge of her bed. "Thank you for driving me home."_

 _He sat down beside her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Anything for you, Princess."_

 _"I told you to stop calling me that," she hissed. "I'm not a 'princess'."_

 _"You are to me." He kissed her on her cheek. "You're precious. You're perfect. Just like princesses are." He swept her hair back and cradled her face with his hand, adoring her beauty even if it was jaded by her tears. "You don't deserve to hurt like this. Not even by him."_

 _"Jira…." She looked at him with half-opened eyes, drunk with emotions she could not suppress nor can she deal with in her current state of mind._

 _He moved to kiss her again, but on her forehead. "He didn't deserve you…." His lips travelled down onto her cheek. "He doesn't deserve your tears." He angled her face in a way that her lips were staring directly at him. His thumb swept past them before he moved in slightly. "Tsunade, you trust me, don't you?"_

 _"Of course…."_

 _"Then let me make you forget about him. Even if it'll be just be for a while - you'll forget about him." His other hand had already worked to untie the knot of her robe, revealing her undergarments and her womanly body to him. His lustful gaze traced over her irresistible cream canvas before he kissed her neck, working to brand what he knew wasn't his._

 _"Jiraiya…" She placed her hands on his shoulders to gain some space, but he had already pushed himself on her that her personal space was no longer her own._

 _"I'll make you feel good again, Tsunade." He had already pushed her down on her bed, with his hands pinning her arms against the pillows. "You trust me, don't you?" Finally, he kissed her on the lips. He smirked when he felt her kiss him back. His eyes gazed back at the picture of her and Dan sitting on the bedside drawer, and he chuckled._

 _His eyes were on her. On them._

 _And he made sure he claimed every single bit of her in front of him. Every moan, every kiss, every millimeter of her body, he made sure to taint in front of him._

 _Little did he know that her thoughts were not of him, but of her beloved. Every sigh and moan she made was when she conceptualised Dan being inside of her. Every sweet kiss she gave Jiraiya was all for the man she gave her everything to. But it grew harder to think of him when everything Jiraiya did was rougher and animalistic. His kisses were demanding, and his hold on her was forceful, as if he was afraid that she would start squirming out of his arms._

 _It wasn't long until he had spilled his seed all over her skin. He kissed her on her forehead before he made his way down onto her breasts, giving them the extra attention he had been wanting to give them since highschool._

 _After Tsunade rolled away from him, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and reeled her in. "Didn't I make you feel better, Princess?" He kissed the shell of her ear._

 _Their newfound "arrangement" continued a couple more times throughout the months, when she felt vulnerable and lonely. With every single night turning rougher, more lustful than she expected. The warmth she felt from his body that night when she allowed him to take her, despite her knowing it was a foolish decision, was now gone. The love he chanted into her ears was also gone._

 _He fucked her as if she were a whore, claiming her body as it were his toy, and discarding her pleas for him to stop whenever he got too rough. And yet, she allowed him inside her a couple more times because she was too weak to stand on her own two feet. She was scared of the silence at night, at how empty her bed felt. She was truly afraid not having someone sleep beside her at night. So, she told herself, even if it was Jiraiya, she wouldn't mind, so long as her bed wasn't empty._

 _But when she was able to go on without him warming her bed, he was furious and he grew possessive and spiteful. And yet… she kept him around because he was her dear friend. Even after he betrayed her in the past when she was with Dan, even after their rotten trysts, she wanted to keep him in her life._

 _But that proved to be a mistake._

* * *

"Tsunade?" Kakashi waved his hand in front of her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh… Um…" She looked away from him, ashamed of what he would think if he knew what she has done for her own selfish desires. "N-Nothing."

"I thought we were being honest here."

She flinched. "I guess so. Well then, can I tell you half of the truth? I'm sorry…. But…. I cannot divulge in a topic like this with you."

Kakashi gripped her hand tighter and nodded. "That's fine."

"Things grew complicated between him and I. As it got more complicated, it also got more violent. We would always argue, shout insults at each other until we were spent, and we would not stop until both of our feelings were severely hurt. It continued to be that way until Orochimaru and Jiraiya got into a brawl."

"Orochimaru-sensei?!" Kakashi gasped.

Tsunade giggled at his surprise. "He doesn't strike you as a fighter, right?"

"No. He's just so reserved."

"He is, but I guess he lost his temper with Jiraiya that night. After that, Orochimaru and I grew closer. I have been friends with Orochimaru as long as I have been with Jiraiya, but he was always in a world of his own, so I never intruded his space with my problems. But after that night with Jiraiya…. We began to bond, and we forged a new friendship that didn't have Jiraiya."

"Do you miss him?"

"Jiraiya?"

"Yeah."

Tsunade dolefully looked at the grey skies, in contemplation. "I do," she finally said with sincerity. "I miss having him around." But she already knew that there was no going back. The moment he looked at her with those eyes that day, their friendship could never be the same again. He had stopped being her friend that day, but she was too naive to understand that.

He exchanged what they had for the sick fantasy he has always wanted.

"I truly trusted him, you know…." Tsunade began. "I didn't doubt him for a second."

"Is that why you're so afraid in letting people in, now?" Kakashi managed to say, knowing that he was going into a territory on thin ice.

"Yeah. That's why I don't like being in debt with people, because that can also be used against me. That's why with you -"

"I already told you, we're even." Kakashi reassured. "I'm not him. I would never…."

"I know you won't," she said. At least, she hoped her intuition was right about Kakashi. His eyes wasn't like Jiraiya's, and his touches were filled with grace and care as opposed to lust. He didn't look like he had that motive in him, she observed. She just hoped she was right about him. "It's not like you see me like _that,_ right?" she then added, trying her damndest to reassure herself.

Kakashi flinched at her question and for the first time he didn't have anything to say. After a while of dodging her gaze, he sheepishly looked at her. "I never really given that much thought," he finally said. "You were just a teacher to me. But now…. You're more to me than that. You're a confidant or some sort."

"Confidant?"

He nodded. "I've told you things, I have never told anyone else. Because I feel an odd sense of trust towards you. I feel that you can understand me but, at the same time, you're my teacher - I shouldn't be talking to you in this manner. That's why I don't know how I feel about you." His eyes then drifted from her eyes again and onto her features that adorned her beautiful heart-shaped face. He cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from her, ashamed of himself for even looking at her in that nature.

"I like it." She smiled. "Confidant, huh? I can get on board with that."

He laughed. "Seriously?"

"Why not?" she shrugged. "There's no better term for this anyways."

"I suppose," he also shrugged. He then gave her a side-eye. "Does that ease your mind a little bit?"

"A little…" she spoke, looking on ahead.

"I won't do anything to hurt you." Kakashi reassured, keeping his hand intertwined with hers.

"I won't either."

Another clap of thunder rang throughout the city as the downpour persisted. Hundreds upon thousands of droplets were still pelting against the ground, concocting a sizzling symphony that muffled the quiet voices in their heads.

At that moment, they truly felt at ease in each other's company.

Kakashi gripped her ice-cold hand again, with his thumb drawing circles on the back of her hand this time. She didn't put much attention to this, showing that she didn't mind or that she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to even realise that their hands have been intertwined for the past few minutes they have been conversing.

"Is your father doing better?" Tsunade inquired, approaching a new conversation.

"He is, but he's not well _enough_ yet. They're keeping a close eye on him at the hospital. I'm actually going to visit him this afternoon. I was supposed to after my photoshoot, but my partner decided that she couldn't show up."

"That's why you're here."

"Yeah."

"Kakashi, about your father's condition -"

"I already know. He doesn't have long to live. I looked up what Marburg MS is after we talked. I even asked the doctors about it, and they confirmed to me that that's what father has. It's almost lethal, I know. But there's this new technology they have designed that could help father. The funding is quite steep, and since my mother is covering everything, it's taken a toll on her and her partner's relationship."

"Oh, your mother isn't…."

"No. She had an affair amidst everything. I know I shouldn't blame her for everything, since she did get father through a lot of shit, but she did leave us. I'm still bitter about it every time I see her and her lover. I always think _why._ Why did she leave when father needed her the most? Perhaps I'll never understand until I'm older."

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi."

"It's alright. I'm the one who brought it up. But, even when things are tough, I'm still hopeful that mother and father will come back together - we could be a family again. That's all I ever want from them. I just want them to be alright again. I hate having an empty house all to myself." Kakashi wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled back. "That's why I'm working so hard to earn money. I want to ensure that father is getting the best possible treatments, so that he can come home. And when he comes home, then, maybe, mother will too."

Tsunade hesitatingly reached her hand out and pulled him into an embrace. He was hurting. "You look like you have been keeping all of your emotions in check, Kakashi. Let them out. It's not healthy to bottle your emotions up inside."

Kakashi was wide-eyed at first - their bodies were against each other's. He could feel her erratic heartbeat against his. So, she was as nervous as he was in allowing another person privy of their weaknesses. But his eyes softened when he inhaled her sweet scent. Her hair smelt of honey, but her skin had a touch of lavender. It soothed him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and held her tightly. He couldn't bring himself to cry in front of her, just as she couldn't in front of him.

They were not there yet.

But he did appreciate this sentiment she had given him. "Thank you," he whispered against her skin. As he pulled away, he realised that he was just a moment's breath away from her. He could feel her breath against his skin, and her hands around his body. His hand was caressing her throat, yet she didn't whimper her protest, or protest at all. Instead, they had a stalement.

He saw her gaze down onto his lips before she made contact with him again.

Just as the sinful thought eclipsed his mind again, a crackle of thunder exploded before them, startling him out from his hold of the blonde. He looked at the thunderous sky that would light up everytime electricity charged through it. It was as if the skies were daring him of finishing what he was thinking. But he didn't gamble on another thunderstrike from happening, so he distanced himself from her again.

"I'm sorry." He shamefully said, bowing his head. "I…."

"Sorry for what? Nothing happened." She spoke, feigning ignorance.

Kakashi eased a small smile, relieved that she granted him easement.

They both looked on at the unrelenting torrents of rain swaying aimlessly in the wind until it reached its final destination - the surface. Every droplet has its own journey, but it would inevitably reach where they have to be, just as the other droplets have. Just as they had their different journey, they will eventually get where they are meant to be. And if meant that their paths would intertwine every once and awhile, Tsunade didn't mind.

"I wish the rain doesn't stop soon," Kakashi wished.

Tsunade looked down at her feet as she bit her lip. She didn't want to admit it, but even after feeling insecure about her vulnerability, she didn't feel _naked_ in front of Kakashi. She felt comfortable. She looked at Kakashi and then his hand that was close to hers, and she gave a tremulous smile.

"Me too," she whispered back.

* * *

A/N: A shorter chapter this time. I tried to just direct focus on the two main characters. I just allowed the words to flow on their own. I hope this was an alright chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

_Dedicated to Guest_

 **After the Rain I**

"You seem happy, Kakashi." His mother told him when he entered into the private hospital room Sakumo was staying in. She was sat next to the bed, which was currently empty of Sakumo's presence, with a book resting in her hand. "Did something good happen?"

Kakashi removed his coat and threw it over the other vacant chair that was adjacent to the hospital bed. He touched his lips before his smirk grew even wider in amusement. He hasn't been able to stop smiling since he was with _her._ He didn't think that she would have had such an impact on him, but here he was, unable to contain his smile. While his problems still remained, he felt _calm_ amidst it all. It was her words, her own vulnerability that soothed him and made him realise that there is someone that he can confide in, indiscriminately.

Throughout their exchange, he didn't see a hint of judgement clouding her eyes. She listened to him with an open heart, and gave him rational advices that came from her own experiences. He was able to learn from her, and he was able to heal with her. Even if it was only one wound, he was grateful.

"Are things moving along well with you and your girlfriend?"

Kakashi froze mid-way in sitting down on the chair, dumbfounded as to how his mother even knew of Shizune's existence. He hasn't divulged this information to anyone else apart from his friends.

"I saw you holding hands with a girl as I was driving pass. I initially wanted to invite you for brunch, but I decided not to impose on your little date with her." Sachi closed her book and she developed a conniving smirk that could only mean one thing - she was about to tease every little detail about Shizune from him. "So… who is this girl?"

"Mom!" Kakashi groaned.

"What? I just want to know more about the girl that is making my son smile like an idiot."

"She's…. nice." Instead of forfeiting and giving his mother the answer she wanted, he decided to play ambiguous so she would tire from her little game of investigation

"Hm. Nice, huh?" She mused, tucking the book she was reading away. From the looks of things, he wasn't going to shake his mother off any time soon. "Come on, can't you spare any more details? For a starter, what's her name?"

Another dejected huff escaped his lips, already weary of what his mother was doing. "Mom. Can we drop this?"

She had her hands up in her defense. "Alright. Alright." After a few seconds of letting everything cool down, she looked at her son with apologetic eyes. "I know I come too strong each time we see each other, Kakashi, but I am just trying to be here for you. I'm not trying to suffocate you, okay? I'm just trying to show some support in whatever you have going on in your life."

Kakashi sighed, softer this time, and his eyes wandered up to his mother's. Guilt plagued his features as he acknowledged his mother's curiosity. She didn't mean any harm to it, he was sure. But he wasn't used to her being so interested about his life unless it meant that there was something in it for her. She had often pried before, so she could gain some information on Obito for his mother. But this was different - she was just trying her hardest to reconnect with him.

"Shizune," said Kakashi. "Her name is Shizune."

His mother beamed at his reply, and even though he didn't show it, it made him happy to see her express herself so genuinely.

"Shizune!" she noted, smiling. "She sounds like a lovely girl."

"She is."

"It would be great if I can meet her, someday."

Kakashi smirked. So, his mother was thinking of sticking around. "Someday," he agreed.

"Careful, Sakumo-sama." One of the nurses gently reminded upon opening the door for him.

Both Kakashi and Sachi perked up in their seats and looked at Sakumo. He was practicing how to walk again, with the help of the doctor. Like before, his legs had braces to add support to his balance and maneuvering. But unlike before, Kakashi could no longer see the look of disdain and weariness in Sakumo's eyes as he forced his body to move. Instead, he was filled with motivation.

He looked at his mother and then back at his father. Was _she_ his motivation to get back up, he wondered.

Sakumo gave a soft smile as Sachi met him halfway, taking him from the doctor's support. "I thought you had a meeting," he said, allowing her to give him a brief embrace.

"Cancelled it." She said simply, assisting him onto the bed.

"He's not going to be pleased," he noted about her lover.

"He's never pleased."

Kakashi approached Sakumo and assisted his mother with the unbuckling of his braces. "How have you been feeling, dad?" he asked, putting his leg braces to one side.

"With the doctor's help, much better. I'd even say, better than before I was hospitalised." Sakumo laughed, although it was a grim joke.

The doctor only smiled in kind respect. "As long as your dad keeps up with his medications and physical therapy, I'd say that he'll be in great shape in two months time. We are pioneering surgical procedures in treating MS, and I'm confident that Sakumo-sama will be a suitable - and great - candidate for it."

Kakashi noticed Sachi squeeze Sakumo's hand at the doctor's last sentence.

"But you need to take it easy, alright, Sakumo-sama?"

Sakumo nodded. "Anything you say."

"Great. I'll be back in two hours with your medications. And as we have discussed before, we'll be working on building your muscle strength to improve your gait and, in turn, help manage spasticity." He looked back at his chart and nodded with confidence. "Things are looking great, Sakumo-sama. We just need that extra step."

"Thank you so much, doctor." Sachi leaned in to shake his hand.

He smiled kindly before giving a nod to Kakashi. "It's also nice seeing you again, young man."

Kakashi bowed slightly. "Thank you for all of your hard work."

Once the door shut behind the confident doctor and the skittish nurse, Sakumo relaxed on his bed with Sachi sitting on the edge of his bed. Kakashi retained his distance by standing behind the end of his bed. He couldn't bring himself to ruin the picture-perfect scenario in front of him right now - his mother was holding hands with his father, as they looked at each other like they used to in the past.

"That doctor is pretty good," Kakashi casually noted. "I didn't think he would be qualified for the job, given his young age."

"I was surprised, too. I didn't think I would be so complacent in giving someone else complete authority over my life. But, given his personal connections with MS, I'd say that he's the best person in this hospital for me."

"Personal connections?"

"His mother died from MS. And his father has since devoted his life in researching into MS, even pioneering the research for it. That kid has been learning under his father since he was a teen; so he is very knowledgeable about this subject."

"So, are you going through with this operation?" Kakashi asked.

"I am." Again, Sakumo had looked at Sachi upon answering.

"How much will it be?"

"Don't worry about the money, Kakashi. You have done your part."

"If you need any money; don't hesitate to ask. You know I only picked up modelling to cover for your hospital bills."

Sakumo looked at him ruefully. "I know. But I'd also like it if some of your money went towards yourself, son. You know, in anything you want."

"The only thing I want is for you to come home, dad. Better this time." Kakashi leaned against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his shakiness from his parents. "The rest can wait till then. This family is my priority."

Again, Sakumo looked ashamed. This time, he forfeited to silence.

It was Sachi who spoke instead. "You have been a great help, Kakashi. Thank you so much."

It wasn't until Kakashi followed Sachi out to get some food that she confided in him. She took him aside, next to a water fountain. "I'm really sorry for what I'm about to say. As your mother, know that I am terribly ashamed of this."

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed together. "What? What is it?"

"I don't have enough money to keep your father here receiving all of his therapies and medications. On that of that, the surgery - or multiple surgeries - he will undergo in the future. I just can't manage it alone. So, I'm going to have to ask you for some assistance." She held him by his arms as she teared up in front of him. "I'm ashamed as a mother to have to ask you for help. But this is Sakumo's best shot at gaining his life from before. I'm also willing to take out some loans, if need be. I just need -"

"How much?" he asked.

She looked up at him, somewhat surprised.

"How much are you lacking?"

"Ten grand. Maybe twenty. I'd like to keep your father in a private room as much as possible, with the best physicians and care at his disposal. All of his medicines also cost a fortune. But I'm not asking you to give me that much! Only anything you can afford. It'll do a great deal for me." She wearily smiled. "I also want to bring your father back home. I want him to be able to live again, you know? And I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."

"Of course I'll help you." Kakashi said.

"Thank you!" Sachi pulled Kakashi in for a tight embrace. "I'm really sorry about this Kakashi. You must feel ashamed of me right now."

Kakashi wrapped his arms around his mother. "No. I'm glad you told me."

* * *

Kakashi took the bus into the city later that day, insisting that his mother shouldn't bother dropping him off. After all, she already had an irritable lover waiting for her at her home, probably already itching to bitch and whine about how she has been dedicating more of her time with her _real_ family than with him and the company. While Kakashi has thought of it before, he definitely believed it now: that man didn't deserve an inch of his mother.

After the heavy episode of the rain, everything seemed to have mellowed and settled down for the night. Even with the gaudy neon lights and the blaring lights of vehicles that strolled on by through the streets, the city was surprisingly tranquil in Kakashi's eyes. There was something about the light chill in the air and the quietness of the night sky that calmed the bustling city life that unravelled in front of his eyes.

He continued to pace through the city, often gazing into the windows of shops he passed by. He wandered aimlessly through the streets, in deep thought of what he should do next, without the intention of going home. He didn't want to go back in such a confining dark space so soon. He liked the company the strangers, who walked past, gave him.

Everyone who walked past him - parents, friends and lovers alike - all seemed so happy. And upon seeing their faces, Kakashi felt his lips curl despite being devoid of any sort of happiness. He was jealous, he realised. They all had somebody to share their laughter with.

Kakashi nuzzled his nose into his coat and continued to walk. He walked and walked until he eventually stopped. Stopped at a familiar shop. He looked at the window, through the pastries that was displayed at the front, and onto the people who were behind the counter. _She_ wasn't there. He should have guessed that she wouldn't be. But her parents have arrived from their trip, so that's something. At least she's not alone tonight.

He got his phone out and was tempted to call her, but he stopped. Perhaps he should give her more space? He sighed. How much space should he give her without making it seem like he was just running away from her? He didn't want her to think that he was distancing himself from her because of what happened. Knowing her and her nature, she would jump to conclusions like that. And he didn't want another misunderstanding that could strain their relationship.

Kakashi shook his head and kept on walking. There wasn't anything he could do for her, right now. He's giving her the space she wants. And if she has any qualms with that, then he'll just have to tell it to her straight. After all, Tsunade did tell him that communication was an important asset to any relationship. If Shizune can't take what he's going to tell her, then it might be best to end things before it gets too complicated.

His hand balled into a fist at that thought. He wished things wouldn't end that way.

Just as Kakashi was going to cross the road, he stopped when he saw a very familiar girl walk over to a black SUV. He focused his attention to her, realising that it was Hanare who was conversing with an unknown man in the car. Given that the car was the latest model, and he was donned in an expensive suit, the guy she was talking to was rich.

Given how low the temperature was, Kakashi was surprised that Hanare was able to keep up her demeanor without giving any signs of her being cold. It was an impressive feat considering she was wearing nothing but a short dress and heels.

Kakashi watched the man drive away, leaving Hanare in front of a very lavish hotel that would charge hundreds just for a night in their ensuite. Did she just get off from a date? Mei wouldn't be pleased to know that her protege was fooling around like this when she cancelled their photoshoot earlier today.

As Hanare tucked her hair behind her ear, she caught eyes with him and waved. Kakashi waved back, but with less gusto as her. He eventually pushed himself to cross the street to go up to her. "Hey," he simply said, unintentionally eyeing her outfit from head to toe.

"What are you doing out here so late?"

He shrugged. "Just…. Strolling."

"Strolling?" She laughed. "You're really an odd one, Kakashi. You're lucky you're handsome."

"So…. who was that?" Kakashi asked, knowing that there was no need to act coy. Especially with such a straight forward girl like her.

"Who?" she played innocent. "Oh, him? Just a client."

"A _client_?"

"Yeah. You know, the type of guy who pays you to go to parties with him, so he wouldn't look so alone."

"So, are you an escort?"

Hanare hummed, trying to find another way to term her sideline profession. "Something like that. But sex is completely off the table. Kissing is fine, it just costs extra. You have to keep your prices tight in this game, or else men can take advantage of you."

"Ah…."

"Do you think differently of me now?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes upwards as she gazed up at him.

"No," he told truthfully.

"Oh, come on. You can go ahead and say it. You know, the word ' _slut', 'whore', 'gold digger'._ I've heard it all before from all of the other girls from model gigs." She began to walk away from the hotel, leaving Kakashi to follow her. "This generates quick cash, you know. And god knows I need it right now."

"Can I ask why?"

"Drugs."

Kakashi's eyes gaped and Hanare began to laugh.

"You _actually_ believed that? God, you're too gullible sometimes, Kakashi." She smirked at him. "You're cute, you know. But I was just joking." She sat down on a nearby bench and relaxed. "It's for my little sister at home. She's not feeling too well, and my parents can't exactly afford everything with their mediocre jobs. So, I'm just filling in the gaps for them."

Kakashi's eyes softened. She's in a similar situation to him, he thought.

"God, it's cold," she cringed. "You know how hard it was to not complain with that guy? He specifically asked me to not wear anything but a dress. So, I had to oblige."

Kakashi sat down beside her and placed his coat over her.

She looked at him, genuinely surprised. "How about you?"

"You need it more than me."

She gripped the coat by its lapels and blushed. "Won't your girlfriend be angry about this?"

"About what? There's nothing wrong with this."

"What is going on with the two of you, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you love her?"

"I….. can't answer that."

"Ah, it must be too early, huh." She shifted closer to him until their knees were touching, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "She's lucky to have met you first, Kakashi. I would have loved to have someone like you in my life…."

Kakashi couldn't find it in himself to push her away or to pull away. He accepted her and sat in his place. "I'm not that worth it."

"Psh. Nice guys always say that, just to make the girl feel better. But girls know, Kakashi; girls know a catch when they see one - and you're a catch. You just don't know it."

"So, are you."

She scoffed. "If I was then I wouldn't be here, alone, clinging onto a guy who already has a girlfriend. I would be upstairs, in my room, snuggling up with someone who loved me for me. But I just can't seem to find that here in the city. Everyone seem to have an ulterior motive under their sleeve; it makes it hard for me to trust anyone. But with you, Kakashi…." She leaned closer to him but she didn't finish her sentence. "Forget it."

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Just forget it." She slipped off from his jacket and stood back up. "Thanks for keeping me company, Kakashi. It's getting quite late. I think you should get home while it's still quite safe out here."

Kakashi collected his jacket and nodded in agreement. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Of course!" She smiled. "I'll be just fine, Kakashi."

He bowed slightly. "Goodnight, Hanare."

"Goodnight, Kakashi," she whispered, tiptoeing slightly to place a kiss on his cheek, before she sauntered on back into the hotel.

Kakashi waited outside until he knew that she was safe inside before he went on his way back home.

* * *

After getting the train back home, Kakashi took his dog out for another late night stroll. After all, the dog must be getting agitated being stuck in the house all day. Kakashi tied Akisame to a post near the entrance of the 24/7 hour convenience store Asuma worked in, and entered to buy something quick to eat.

He browsed through the aisles before he decided in settling for instant ramen as his dinner. As Asuma was checking his shopping out and packing them into a plastic bag, he frowned at him. "What's wrong man? Did you have a rough day?"

Kakashi sighed. "Something like that."

"I heard from Kurenai that Shizune is staying over at hers tonight. What happened? I thought you said that you were going to stay with her for another night?"

"I was, but plans changed. Besides, her parents came her early; so it's not like I could, anyway."

Asuma's lips deviously curled into a smirk. "So, did you do anything with Shizune _last_ night? Is that why you look so tired? Did you and Shizune finally mess around in the sheets?"

Kakashi's face became more crestfallen. "C-Can we not talk about her, right now? Please. Just talk about something else. H-H-How are you and Kurenai?"

Asuma frowned. "What's wrong, dude? You haven't looked like this for anything?"

"It's nothing," mumbled Kakashi.

"Oi, I tell you shit when you force things out of me. How about a little bit of a reciprocation, man?"

Kakashi ruffled his hair and looked away from him, debating whether or not he should even confide in him. But Asuma had a point - he was always an honest book when he asked about him. There were no secrets between them, including Obito."S-Shizune and I tried to have… s-s-s-sex…." he finally muttered, blushing at the memories of last night.

He guffawed loudly. "That's it?! Good for you, man!" he said, punching him playfully on his arm.

"It didn't go down so well."

"What? Why?" He then grimaced, "Did you put it in the wrong hole? I heard many people do that during their first time."

Kakashi blushed profusely at his friend's candid words, wishing he could mince it up a bit more, especially since he was currently at work. "Idiot! Can you not say that so loudly?"

"Relaaax," he groaned. "No one here cares. And there's no one here, anyway!"

Kakashi looked around, realising that his friend was actually telling the truth. His shoulders slumped forward as he sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god."

"So, was I right?"

"Huh?"

"Did you put it in the wrong hole?" he asked again. This time, the bell at the entrance rang as an unsuspecting customer strolled in. She looked at the both of them, blushed, and hurried on out of the store.

Kakashi jumped onto Asuma and hit him with the box of chocolate raisins he had lying beside the cashier. "You _idiot!_ I told you to be more discrete!" After realising that he couldn't fully jump over the counter, he stepped back down. He shared a couple glances with Asuma before they both started to chuckle. "Fucking idiot," he still muttered under his breath, though.

"You should have seen the look on her face!" Asuma laughed. "Looks like she won't be coming here for a while."

Kakashi resumed in shaking his head.

"You didn't answer my question, dude!"

"What?"

"Did you? You _know_."

"Oh. No, no, no. Nothing like that."

"Then what made it go so wrong?"

Kakashi's crossed his arms, already regretting that he even agreed to talk about this with Asuma. "She didn't really want it. So, I stopped it. After that, we got into an argument. I tried to fix it this morning, but she had already left."

Asuma sucked his breath through his teeth, inhaling sharply. "Damn, that's really rough! And you haven't tried to text or call her?"

"Why would I? She bothered to run away early in the morning without me knowing. I think that's a clear indication that she doesn't want to talk to me."

"So you're just going to leave it, then?"

"For the mean time, yeah. I'm going to respect her request - I'll let her be."

Asuma ruffled his hair and bit down onto his toothpick. "Fuck, man, I'm sorry. That shit is rough. I mean, Kurenai and I haven't done it yet, but we have done _stuff._ We're just taking it easy now, though."

"How do you know when it's the right time?"

"I dunno. You just _do_."

"Yeah, that doesn't really help me, man."

"Listen, when you were in that moment with Shizune, what were you thinking?"

"I-I-I-I don't know….."

"If you were thinking of other things, then the moment isn't right. If you were thinking whether or not last night was right, then it was not the right moment for you, either. In moments of heat, Kakashi, you will think of no one else but your partner. You will think how beautiful they are, how lucky you are to have fooled them into thinking you're even worth their time, and how you're going to make them feel as lucky as you are. There will be nothing else in your mind but them - their touches, their body, and their heart."

" _Wow."_ Was all that Kakashi could say. "That was deep. Even by your standards."

"You're damn right it is! Because I don't fuck with love, Kakashi. Kurenai and I…. we're something, you know? I just know that she's the one, man. And I hope I'm not jinxing our chances, but I'm going to do everything that I can to make her feel the way I am feeling for her right now."

Kakashi could smile at his friend's unwavering passion. "You're really in love with her, aren't you?"

This time, it was Asuma who blushed. "Y-Y-Yeah. But we haven't said the L word to each other yet! So, don't you dare say anything, got it? I-I want it to be perfect, you know?"

"I'm envious, Asuma."

"Why? C'mon, you have Shizune."

"But I don't feel a fraction of what you feel for Kurenai. I just _like_ her. But with you and Kurenai, that's just love. Pure, _stupid,_ love." Kakashi chuckled lowly as he ruffled his hair. "I wish I felt something like that with Shizune."

"You will! This didn't happen overnight, Kakashi. Maybe after spending more time with Shizune, you will be able to feel this way. It's just because you've hit a rocking road that you're beginning to doubt each other."

"Thanks, man." Kakashi handed him his overdue bill for the instant ramen. "I'll try and talk to her on Monday."

"Any time." Asuma grinned mightily. "Just remember not to tell Kurenai about my smoking, yeah?"

"Your secret is safe with me." Kakashi reassured as he walked out of the convenience store.

* * *

Kakashi sat on the edge of his bed that night, with Akisame curled up in the centre of his bed, in deep thought of what he could possibly do to raise the income he was receiving. Sure, his modelling gig was earning twice - or _thrice_ \- the amount of what he had earned when he was a waiter. But, what if he became a waiter again? That way, he could give all of his model gig funds to his mother while he used whatever he gets from the restaurant as maintenance money. That seemed quite a reasonable approach, he thought.

But if he were to do that, he must be prepared to sacrifice his grades in return. He signed and laid down on his bed, petting Akisame, who was already fast asleep. "I wish I was a dog," he quietly mused as he ran his fingers through his fur. "All I'll be doing is sleeping, eating and going for walks. That would be something."

He turned and laid flat on his bed, exhaling out loud in exasperation. Life seemed simpler a couple of weeks ago, but all of a sudden he has all of these responsibilities and duties to do. He hasn't slept in for a while - which was _weird_ on his part since, even as a child, he would always find time in the day to hibrate.

He knew it sounded stupid to even say that he was irritated about not having the luxury to take naps anymore. Something was always on his mind, constantly prodding at him until he gave it his undivided attention. Tonight was no exception - while he has nothing to do, his mind has been spinning for miles, trying to work out the myriad of problems he was facing.

He looked at his phone again and scrolled through social media. As he was about to scroll past Hanare's page, he stopped and clicked on her profile. She had over twenty thousand followers even though she only has about a dozen posts. For a girl like her, who constantly documented their everyday looks on their phone, she didn't really put a lot out there in the world.

The only thing that was linked in her bio was her work email. This must be for those _clients_ of hers, who have enough money to spend to lavish themselves with an outstanding 10/10 girl.

Hanare seemed to be experienced in the field of escorting. How long has she been doing this, he wondered. And does she really keep sex off the table? He didn't have the nerve to approach her with this topic again. But his concern for her was still ebbing in his heart. She was doing this for someone else's sake, and not for her own lifestyle.

Now that he thought about it, Hanare was truly more reserved and minimalistic than he thought. She may appear vibrant, garrulous, unsecured and peppy at first, but she only had that side as a marketing tool. That's how she sold herself as - as the typical city girl who craves the luxurious lifestyle of models - but she was more grounded than anyone would think.

As he contemplated on messaging her that night, Akisame began to nudge his side with his nose as he softly whined. The brightness from his phone must have woken Akisame up from his slumber. Kakashi chuckled and petted him. "Hai, hai. I'll go to sleep now."

He'll just have to look into the possibility of going back to his other job tomorrow.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, but we have already given your job to someone else," his manager explained when he inquired about getting his job back. "We didn't think you'd be coming back. Let alone this soon. We figured that your other career was going so well, that you wouldn't need your slot anymore. Besides, the holidays are coming up, so we needed more staff in."

Kakashi could only give a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. How could he blame them for running their business as best as they could? He didn't expect to come back, so he shouldn't be surprised that they didn't, either. "It's okay, Mikoto-sama. I was curious, that's all."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you need a second job, Kakashi? Don't you already have a lot on your plate?"

"I-I just need it for…. something."

She sighed before she gave a small shake of her head. "Okay, listen, I'll convince the boss to give you some extra shifts during the Christmas holidays. Will that be okay with you?"

"Christmas?" That was too far away. He needed money - _fast._

"Yeah. We'll need a lot of staff by that time, so I can probably fit you in. What do you say, Kakashi?"

"I….."

"Look, Kakashi, I'm trying to help you out here, because you're a good kid and an excellent worker. But you're being too difficult. This is the best I can do. If you're having financial issues or anything of the sort that needs immediate attention then, I'm sorry, I can't help you."

"I understand, Mikoto-sama." He bowed. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

She gave him a small sympathetic smile. "Don't do anything reckless, okay? If you change your mind about working during the Christmas holidays, come by and I'll see what I can do for you." She turned to leave, but not without taking a look back. "Stay safe, alright, Kakashi?"

"Y-Y-Yes, Mikoto-sama. I promise." He turned to leave, only to catch eyes with a stranger who was currently dining alone. He must be waiting for his companions to arrive. Now that Kakashi noticed him, he looked very conspicuous with his overly expensive striped, navy-blue designer suit, paired with gem adorned shoes.

"Young man," he hollered, gesturing that he approached him at his table.

Kakashi didn't know why but he felt inclined to follow his request. "Yes?"

The man looked up from his cigar and onto him. "I'll be frank and say that I like your demeanor." His eyes wandered down from his face, tracing every inch of his body, appraisingly. "Your sense of fashion is also desirable. I like you."

"E-E-Excuse me?" Kakashi frowned. Did the man mistake him for a gay person?

"You want some quick cash, yes?"

"Y-Y-Yeah…."

"How about you work for me?" He reached into the inside pocket of his silk blazer and handed him his card. "Our business hours start from 8 and can last until 2. It does run pretty late in the night, but I'm sure you wouldn't have any qualms with that. Right?"

Kakashi inspected the matte-black card that was given to him. "Dukes?" he read the company name. "What is this place?"

"It's a bar of some sort."

"Seems quite shady. I'll pass-"

"With a fellow like you, I can guarantee you five hundred a night."

Kakashi's breath caught. "What?"

"It's simple." The man shrugged. "And if you do good in your work, you can even get thousands in."

"What's the catch?"

The man's eyes glinted with intentions Kakashi couldn't read, and he didn't like it. "No catch, really. You will serve drinks, accompany clients when asked, cut their cigars, laugh at their jokes. Just like a normal host would do."

"Ah." So, _that_ was the catch.

"Interested?"

Kakashi pocketed the card in his coat. "I'll give you a call if I am."

"I like men like you," the man guffawed, taking a puff of his cigar. "I'm sure that we'll see more of each other in the future. What's your name?"

"Kakashi."

"Kakashi, huh. Have a good night. I'm looking forward for your call." The man saluted him. "If you do call, tell them that you want to speak to Gendo."

"Yeah. Sure." Kakashi pushed his hands into his pockets and proceeded to walk out. He didn't need to look back to know that the man was still leering at him from behind, probably thinking God knows what. The man had the eyes of a businessman; he was already mentally calculating how much profit he could make out of him without even knowing whether or not he was going to apply. Was he _that_ confident in himself?

Kakashi didn't know.

But he knew that he felt uneasy under that man's gaze.

* * *

 _Monday morning…._

As always, Kakashi caught the train to commute to school. However, unlike before, he was not running late nor was his mind kept idle to the faint noises of the train clinking on the train tracks. He was hunched over his seat, eagerly writing to complete his homework for his upcoming chemistry class. His weekend had mostly consisted on him job-hunting, that ended without much success, that he had forgotten about his schoolwork.

After the train stopped at his destination, Kakashi hurriedly shoved his book into his messenger bag and ran out. As he arrived at the school gates, Obito whizzed past him in his bike, leaving nothing but dust in his wake.

"Hey, sorry about that!" Obito said, as he met up with Kakashi by the lockers. "I thought I was going to be late today! God, I swear you could have heard my mom from two blocks away when she saw that I slept through my alarms."

"You _are_ a very loud family." Kakashi drawled, pushing his scarf into his locker.

"So, how was your weekend?" Obito asked, overlooking his remark.

"Same old, same old. What about you?"

"I had to help my dad at the shop, so it was a complete bore. Nothing really happened, but I wasn't able to talk to Rin. I even accidentally left her on read last night! She must be mad at me for ' _ghosting'_ her."

"Ghosting? What does that mean?"

"When you snub them online, you know?" He followed him to their homeroom. "Anyways, me and Rin have been talking nonstop for a couple of days now. So, I'm really hoping that she'll say yes to me when I ask her out."

"Ask her out? You're actually gonna do it?"

"Yeah, why not? I-I-I mean…." Obito blushed. "I'm gonna tell her to come with _us_ to wait for the New Year. But, I'm hoping that I can get her alone before the fireworks, you know?"

"And, what, kiss her?"

Obito became redder as he nodded his confession.

Kakashi smirked in amusement. "Do whatever makes you happy, man."

"Do-Do-Do you think this will work?" He prodded.

Kakashi took a seat in his homeroom class and nodded. "I think it can."

"Okay! Let's see…. I have a month to ask her out, so I need to start dropping hints soon." He scratched his cheek as he tried to countdown the days until their last day of this term. "Okay, never mind, I have three weeks to ask her out. Kakashi, I don't think this is a good plan! It's too soon! I have the Winter Basketball Tournament to prepare for, and exams to revise for, I can't have this on my plate, too! It'll be the death of me."

" _Relax."_ Kakashi flicked him on his forehead to diffuse his erratic thoughts from making him anxious. "You can just kill two birds with one stone: how about asking her out after the basketball finals? That's, what, on the last week of term, right? Do it, then."

"You're right! I'll win the tournament and ask her out. Hm!" It looks like the raven-haired idiot has reaffirmed faith in himself once more.

"You're really sure that you're going to win this, aren't you?"

"Of course! Asuma and I have been training our asses off with the seniors! We've never been in better shape."

"Careful. We both know how the Land of Lightning play it dirty on the court."

Obito clicked his tongue. "I forgot that we might be playing those bastards. God, I hate those guys! They think they're the shit just because they're, like, two meters tall! Well, we'll just have to crush them! Because you know what our team's motto is - or should I say our -"

"Please don't say it."

"Will of Fire!"

Kakashi groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Giving up isn't in our blood. _That_ is our Will of Fire!" Obito proclaimed, proudly laughing at himself. "Isn't that cool or what?"

"Lame," Kakashi said, matter-of-factly. "So _lame._ "

"Hey! At least our motto isn't some, ' _the water is our spirit'_ , bullshit!"

"At least _I_ didn't make that motto up!" Kakashi snarled back.

Just as their heads clashed together in another round of childish banter, the sound of Rin's chair scraping across the floor stopped them.. "Fighting already? It's too early to have the energy for that."

"Rin, thank god you're here!" Obito beamed. "Tell this _hater_ that my Will of Fire motto isn't ' _lame'_."

She giggled, but only out of politeness. "I thought you were only joking about that motto, Obito."

Obito's heart dropped on the floor along with his jaw, while Kakashi blew a raspberry to further humiliate his loss. "N-N-Not you too, Rin."

"But I think it's cute," she added.

"Rin…" Kakashi huffed. "You're babying him _again._ "

"Well, at least he's happy." She smiled, genuinely this time. She then looked at the watch, realising that homeroom was supposed to have started five minutes ago. She _knew_ she was late. To come to think of it, it was their homeroom teacher who was running late. "Senju-sama is not here yet?" she asked.

Kakashi perked up and looked at his phone, also realising that she was late. This was extremely uncommon for her, so it was no surprise that many people used it to their advantage. Many were seated where they were not supposed to, chattering away as much as they could before she arrived.

Soon enough, however, after minutes had gone by, their other classmates also started realising that she was late. Or, at this rate, _missing._ Murmurs and speculations began, with others whipping up the most ludicrous and scandalous theories, to others saying that she must just be stuck in the staff room with their mock papers.

Either way, Kakashi's subconscious looked for her presence. Where was she? The last time he saw her, she seemed alright. He could only hope that he was right in leaving her in that garden. He would never forgive himself if something had happening to her after he had left.

"Where do you think she is?" One student whispered.

"I dunno. I just hope that she's not in for biology today. I did so bad at the test, I don't want her to scold me. Jeez."

"But that means you'll need to go to extra classes, man!"

"So?"

"Extra classes with Senju-sama is a _dream._ She sits so close to you, it's almost unreal. One time, I _purposefully_ failed one of her tests so she could do a one-on-one with me. We were touching elbows, man. And since she was so close, I was able to get a good look at her, you _know._ "

"Oh, shut up, dude. We both know you didn't fail intentionally. You're just stupid!" A handful of chuckles were heard in the class.

"No, but seriously, dude. She really has an amazing rack."

"Everybody knows that, man. That's all people really stare at. Oh, and her ass."

"Oh, don't even get me started about her ass. Senju-sama is just so sexy, you know? I would gladly take summer school if that meant being in a close proximity as her. And, maybe, you know, get a little something-something."

"Ugh, god, you watch too much porn if you think shit like that happens."

Rin grimaced as she also caught wind of their conversation. "Pigs," she retorted.

Kakashi tried to mute out their conversation by averting his attention to the window, but they were just so loud for his liking. With every degrading comment they made, and with every sneer they gave, Kakashi's patience grew thinner and thinner.

"You know, I heard from the seniors that she did some lingerie shoots."

"No way! Really?!"

"That's what they said, anyway."

"See, _this_ is why I don't get why she's single, you know?"

"That's because she's scary as fuck, dude."

"True! She's just not a submissive type, is she?"

"Who cares. Just search it up! Dude, come on! I need to know if she did lingerie shoots."

"So, what, you can use it to jack off later?" One laughed.

"Like you wouldn't!"

"That's true. Haha. I mean, I already imagine h-"

A fist slammed onto the table before he could finish his sentence. Everyone looked back to Kakashi with a look of both shock and amusement.

Kakashi calmed his breathing before he raised his fist up from the table. "There was a bug," he swiftly lied.

Everybody but Rin laughed, because she could see how his hand was clenched so tightly. He was angry, wasn't he? Was it because of what their classmates were saying about _her?_ No, she told herself. That couldn't be it. She shouldn't think of it like that. The last time she started concocting those kinds of theories was when she nearly broke her relationship with Kakashi. She shouldn't start seeing things in that angle again, she insisted. Even so, at the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think that the source of his ire was because of _her._

"Oh, hey, Kakashi, you're Senju-sama's favourite, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"Come on, dude. Don't play coy - she's not here. You've spent quite some time with her. Tell us, what do you think about her?"

Everyone was looking at him again. Even Shizune was.

"She's fine." He shrugged.

"Don't play games, man! Come on. You're a man and you're not blind. You've probably checked her out, too. Don't you think she's -"

"When will you shut up, Emi?" Kakashi finally snarled, having had enough of the bullshit he was constantly spewing. "Can't you go through a day without saying derogatory shit to every female you see? Do you _need_ to constantly make comments? Are you that deprived, because girls aren't paying attention to you?"

"Hey, man, I-I-I was just joking-"

"Jokes are meant to be _funny._ Do you see anyone else here laughing, apart from you?" He raised his brow at him, silently challenging him to say anything back. But everybody knew that that would be social suicide; Kakashi was the most popular boy in the year, nobody has ever challenged him before. And from the looks of it, Emi wouldn't be challenging him any time soon, either.

Kakashi rose from his seat and began to walk over to the front of the class. He hated taking responsibility, but he didn't see any other choice. What a drag. "Since our Homeroom teacher isn't in today, it is the Class Rep's job to take register and make sure that the class is in other." He stopped right beside Shizune and looked down at her. "Isn't that right, Class Rep?"

Today was the first time he's seen her since their little incident, and he has never felt so cold towards her. She must have seen it in his eyes when she looked up at him, because she wore that apologetic expression he was oddly familiar with. "Y-Y-Yeah…" she whispered, rising from her chair to follow him to the front of the class.

* * *

"Dude, that was intense!" Obito gasped when their homeroom finished. "You were angry, weren't you?"

"Not angry," he corrected. "I was irritated about how they talked about Senju-sama. The way they spoke about her was disgusting and degrading. That's all they have been talking about over the past few weeks - about how good she looks in her outfits, or how…. Forget it."

"I won't lie, they do have a point. Senju-sama is crazy hot." Obito then grimaced. "But saying those things are _way_ out of line. Even I wouldn't say that. And I'm _me_. I guess Emi is just a league above me; I'm actually quite proud that someone has outdid me in being dirty, though."

"That bastard made me sick to my stomach. You should have seen him. He was practically getting off talking about a teacher in this school - _pathetic._ It's not the first time he's spoken like this about anyone. Remember when he nearly got battered by the seniors because of how he constantly creeped at his girlfriend? That guy has serious issues, it's sickening."

As they turned to the corridor that led to their history class, Kakashi stopped in his tracks when he saw Shizune with her clique, walking up to the same class. He huffed to himself and forced himself to tail behind her group. Everything was going well until one of Shizune's friends realised that he was right behind them.

"Shizune, your boyfriend is right behind you!" She chimed, practically taking Kakashi by the arm to push him to her.

Shizune laughed as Kakashi was forced up next to her. "Hey," she smiled.

Kakashi frowned. She was acting differently. She was also looking at him differently compared to how she looked at him during homeroom."Hi."

"So, where do you want to eat? I was thinking that we could eat up on the rooftop again. What do you say?"

She was pretending that nothing happened between then. What was up with this facade she was forcing on them? Did she just think that he was going to forget how she jumped out of his window to get away from him?

"I was hoping that we could talk, actually."

"Talk, huh."

"Yeah. We _need_ to talk, Shizune."

"Just meet me on the rooftop, okay?" Was all she said before she rejoined with her group of friends.

"Okay…" He replied.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Obito asked with a frown.

Kakashi continued to stare at Shizune until she was no longer in his sight. He then shook his head. "No, I don't think we are."

* * *

A/N: To **Guest,** thank you for supporting me on both Haphazard and Divergent. Your reviews have been a pleasure to read, and I am glad that you are enjoying the content that I am writing out. Yes, I did see the Pinterest board you made, and I love it! Thank you for doing that :) And don't worry about swearing; I didn't take any offence to your review. :) As I said before, you reviews made my day! So, thank you!

Thanks for reading, everyone.

xox


	21. Chapter 21

**After the Rain II**

Orochimaru and Mei were still camping away in her apartment by the time she got home. Orochimaru glanced at her once with a small smile on his face once he observed that she was, in fact, still alive, while Mei gave her a look she knew all too well. That woman was about to pry into something she shouldn't be.

"Well, someone is happy." Mei observed as Tsunade sheepishly tip-toed back into her apartment after her lengthy encounter with Kakashi. The rain had calmed enough for her to walk home with her umbrella staying in tact; he was the first to leave the garden when the rain showed signs of easement. She couldn't blame him. He did have his father to attend to.

While she treasured their conversation, she knew that it wouldn't last long. After all, their time was dependent on the weather. As an adult, she knew that she shouldn't be wishing to stay in the company of a younger man. Her _student,_ to boot. She let out a soft sigh as she divested herself from her coat and scarf, separating herself from the only source of warmth she had.

"Stop looking at me like that," she snapped at the sly brunette.

Mei wriggled her eyebrows at her. "So, who did you meet?" she asked in a sing-song tone.

"No one."

"Ah, and that's why you're smiling so stupidly. Sure, you just went out and talked to trees and nature, and now you're smiling like a complete idiot!"

"Actually, you're right. I did have a nice talk with nature." Tsunade placed her shoes aside before she slipped her cold feet into her soft, suede slippers. She wasn't going to give her doting friend any signs of entry into her thoughts, because she knew that it would be game over if she did. While she didn't harbour any deep feelings for Kakashi, she didn't like the idea of another person prying into what she has with him. She was sure that he felt the same.

What they had was not meant for anyone else but them. They were each other's darkest secrets that gave light into their troubling lives.

Mei pouted. "You're not budging."

"No, I am not." Tsunade replied, now making herself a hot cup of coffee in the kitchen.

"So, there _is_ someone!"

"There's no one," she insisted. No one that she should concern herself with, anyway. Tsunade stirred her sugar with her cream, watching their molecules melt away in the soft heat the water emanated. If there was a simile she could describe their relationship, it was like sugar in a hot coffee - the burn is gentle, but it works quickly, dissolving anything in its path. That's what she felt with Kakashi: his presence has a gentle burn to it, but he was quick at searing through her armour until there was nothing left but her vulnerable body. Instead of scorching her, however, he melded together with her into one messy conclusion.

She bit into her lower lip before she took a sip of her coffee. She knew that she should have ended this before it had even begun. But when did it even begin? When he saved her from her potential rapist? Or was it when he first confided in her? The membrane of her thoughts enshrouded on the _how_ but not the _when._ She didn't know. It had just happened without her realising. This should have sickened her, made her put up more barriers to prevent him from getting closer to her, but she relented.

 _Why?_

She groaned at the question, unable to fully understand it herself. She didn't feel anything for Kakashi that meant she saw him in _that_ way. So, why did she feel compelled to share her vulnerability with a person like him? Was it because of the way he looked at her? The way he caressed her hand with deliberation? What was it?

She took another sip of her coffee again. And then again when she couldn't find her answer. "Fuck," she finally sneered through her teeth. Was she stupid to have let him in so casually? She didn't want to think so, because her heart wholly trusted him, while her brain constantly reprimanded her for even engaging with him in that manner.

"Fuck," she said again, harsher this time.

"Ooh, who did you fuck?"

Tsunade suddenly leapt back. "What the hell, Mei?"

"You look troubled, sweetie. And you have been saying ' _fuck'_ a good number of times now. What is it?"

"N-N-Nothing…."

"Come on." Mei levelled her gaze with her, sending her unspoken signals that she prompted her to divulge in her. But when she sighed again, Mei's face softened. This time, the brunette didn't pry, but she chose to understand her silence. "It's a miracle you didn't get wet," said Mei, opening up a new topic for them to talk about.

"I had to stay under a shelter for a while. I was lucky to have found it when I did; had I been a second too late, I would have been drenched!"

Mei had folded her arms over her chest as she tried to go with the flow of their new conversation. "It must have sucked just sitting there all by yourself."

"I wasn't -" Tsunade's eyes immediately widened and she caught her tongue.

Mei's lips deviously curled up in victory. "So, you weren't alone! I knew it!" She turned her head to the side slightly before shouting, "Orochimaru, you owe me twenty yen!"

Orochimaru's groan could be heard from the living room.

"You guys were betting on me?!" Tsunade gasped.

"It was inevitable." Orochimaru said.

"Of course. We were bored to death here." Mei leaned against the countertop and bid her time in teasing more information out from the she knew that it wasn't going to be easy, she knew that it was still possible. "So, tell us about mister Rain man. Did he just suddenly morph beside you? Did you purposefully sit next to him because he has this ridiculously mythical beauty to him? Or was he just a casual hookup you did in the storm?"

Tsunade waved her hands in front of her to stop Mei from concocting more fantasies that would sate her interest. "Nothing like that! I just talked to a…. confidant."

Mei's face wrinkled in confusion. "A confidant?"

"Yes. A _confidant._ " Tsunade reaffirmed with a bigger smile. "Just someone I talk to."

"So, you just talked for the past two hours it has been chucking buckets out there?" Mei snorted. "Don't buy it. Tsunade Senju isn't the type to just _chat_ for that long. You know, if you guys did _it_ I wouldn't judge. I already know about your public exploits with Dan."

"Mei!"

"In the parking lot, in the bathrooms of the bars we went to. Where else? _Oh!_ That little quickie you guys did in the infirmary! Don't think I didn't know about that _steamy_ escapade. You guys were nearly caught by the janitor."

"Can you please talk about something else?" Orochimaru's voice echoed. "I'm _still_ here, you know."

"I really don't see your point." Tsunade proceeded to say, blatantly ignoring Orochimaru.

"My point is that you're no stranger to _public romances._ I wouldn't be surprised if you dabbled in it with _Mister Confidant,_ here."

Tsunade's cheeks reddened like ripened tomatoes. She didn't want a mental image of her and Kakashi engaging in such an affair! No, no! She shook her head defiantly.

"I'm just joking!" Mei proceeded to lighten up the mood with her laugh. "You're so flustered, sweetie. Oh, come on, lighten up! I'm just trying to pull your leg here. Although, I have _never_ seen you so red before. I guess I _did_ touch a delicate subject."

"Oh, hush!" Tsunade snapped, playfully slapping her on her arm.

"So, there's no one?"

" _None."_ She grew exasperated of this roundabout they were dancing around on.

"Then, I'll take your word for it."

"Finally!" She sat herself down on the small dining table that was a few feet behind the sofa. As usual, she had a stack of test papers she still needed to plough through. She has completed half of the pile, with only a few students being able to impress her. So far, she has failed more students than she has passed them. And that wasn't making her eager to sift through the rest. If her students didn't bother to put as much effort as she did for them, then why should she bother?

"Ouch. How much more do you have to mark?" Mei asked as she swiftly stole her cup of coffee for a quick sip.

"Thirty more." Tsunade looked through her sheet which detailed which classes she had yet to do.

"How did my boy do?" Mei leaned over to her until her cheek was touching hers. She was keenly scanning the paper for something.

"Your boy?" she repeated, baffled.

"Yeah. Kakashi."

"Oh…"

"What?" Mei frowned.

"I didn't know you called him that."

"Well, I sometimes do. He hates it, though. But it's what I do to let my employees know that we are a family unit in that company. That, and I also need to remind myself that I shouldn't be interested in my models."

"You have to _remind_ yourself?"

"Sometimes. The work can get too physical at times, that your eyes can't help but appreciate what's in front of them. I've had male models who have been chiselled to the bone, with faces of sinful angels, Tsunade. It's hard to _not_ be interested. So, I make it an effort to place a barrier between me and the models by calling them ' _boy', 'son'._ Anything to make me not feel the way I know I really am."

"Ahhh…."

"While Kakashi is a fresh face in my company, he is a looker: with that sharp jawline and swimmer-toned abs? It's hard to even look at him like a boy. Then again, I have to remind myself that I'm a good twelve years older than him. He's too young for me."

"Don't you go for guys who are younger than you?"

"Yeah, but they have to be in their twenties! Kakashi is only pushing eighteen. I mean, he's already legal to _do stuff,_ but he's just a baby bird in my eyes. Well, _I_ think he's a baby bird. Other models practically lust over that boy, while other models become jealous of him."

"I'm not surprised that he's attracting so much attention to himself." Even Tsunade wasn't blind to the fact that Kakashi was a handsome man. He possessed a lot of traits that would make any hormonal teenage girl fall for him. And he had a natural skill in a lot of fields that is most certainly enviable. Upon face value, he was _perfect._ The perfect student. The perfect athlete. The perfect model. The perfect boyfriend.

He seemed to be the embodiment of perfection to most people. But she knew the truth that people failed to see; she could see past his image of perfection and see the scarred person underneath. The imperfect version of himself that others refused to believe exist inside him. The _real_ him.

"Ironically, even if he has a lot of attention pointed at him, he's actually very lonely." Tsunade went on to say, idly flicking through her sheets to see if she has marked his paper.

Mei looked at her endearingly with a small smirk on her face. "You have a soft spot for him, don't you?"

"W-W-What?" Tsunade tried her best to retort back her claim, but she couldn't find it in herself to do so.

"It's alright, you know. Teachers have soft spots for students all of the time - it's called _favouritism._ I know you pride yourself in not showing any, but with Kakashi, it shows." She then gave that cute giggle she does when she recollects something funny. "You know, he talks about you quite a bit to me."

Tsunade perked up.

"I mean, I ask him at times. I'm always curious about you, Tsunade- _sensei,_ and he's my only source at work." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, his eyes and his voice would soften up when he talks about how appreciative he is for you, and how your teaching has actually gotten him interested. He speaks so highly of you. He respects you and - this is just a gut feeling - I, think, he adores you. It's quite cute, really."

The blonde angled her face away from Mei, trying her damndest not to smile. Seeing how close the other woman was, however, she knew that she couldn't hide her mirth from her.

"You have inspired him to work harder, Tsunade." Mei smiled. "Feel flattered. You have every right to be."

Instead of giving much of a reply, Tsunade found Kakashi's name on her list and saw that he wasn't crossed off yet. That made complete sense since he was the first one to have completed the test, so that meant that his paper was at the bottom of the pile. But still, Tsunade insisted in her mind, he was not confident with his paper. That wasn't like the Kakashi she knew. Knowing that he was nervous about handing in his paper made her stomach tie into a knot. She didn't want to fail him, but it may come to that.

"I'll leave you to it." Mei winked as she circled back around to the couch.

Tsunade pulled the cap off her red pen and then reached out for her cup of coffee. To her dismay, the only thing her fingers grabbed was thin air. After clicking her tongue in annoyance, she looked up. "Mei, give me back my coffee!"

* * *

It wasn't until later into the evening that Tsunade was finally left alone to her volition. She sighed in relief as she leaned against the door she had closed after Orochimaru and Mei said their goodbyes. While she was relieved to have her own space to herself again, she couldn't shake off the gnawing sensation of the suffocation of loneliness. Darkness encompassed her apartment that was supposed to house two people, and she felt small amidst it all.

She flicked her light switch on upon stepping into her bedroom, eyeing the furniture she and Dan had bought together. Everything stayed in the same spot even after his death. His wardrobe was still at the left side of the room, filled with his clothes. She didn't bother throwing any of it away, because she wasn't ready.

 _"Don't hold yourself back anymore…."_ Kakashi's words resonated within her, giving her the strength to approach her next hurdle - finally letting go.

She opened the cabinet and took a handful of Dan's shirts that were in hangers and threw them all over her bed. She continued to claw every single one of his clothing out of the wardrobe until there was nothing left to grab.

Her knees sudden felt delicate and incapable of sustaining her weight, sending her to sink down onto the floor. She knelt in front of the empty cabinet with a forlorn expression as she grabbed onto the fabric of her shirt. Her heart that was made full with newfound resolution now felt malleable and _fragile._

She could put his clothes back in the cabinet. Forget this ever happened. She can go back to pretending that she has moved on from his death. She can keep pretending until it _sticks._

" _You shouldn't be living in a lie, Tsunade."_ Again, Kakashi's soft words echoed within her, catalysing every will in her fibre that had remained inert all of these years.

With hands balled into fists and a heavy heart, she went into the kitchen to grab a roll of black bin bags before she started taking his shirts off from the hangers. She tried to ignore the tears that were streaming down her face, but she just couldn't stop herself from wiping it away.

She didn't want to let him go, completely. But she knew she _had to._ For her own sake.

What would Dan say to her, she wondered. How would he look at her as she desperately tried to move on from him?

* * *

" _Tsuna, hey! Tsuna!"_

 _She flinched and looked up from the book she was so absorbed in, to see her lover's face so close to her own that she could feel his breath on her skin. She didn't flinch, however, even though she wanted to grab him by his face and kiss him. "Yeah?" was all she managed to say without losing her composure._

 _Dan crawled onto the bed and laid beside her. "You have been revising for the whole day," he said, taking the piece of literature from her hands before he kissed her shoulder. "Rest your eyes, sweetie."_

" _Midterms are coming up! I cannot fail it. If I want to be able to study abroad, I have to get a 90% on my exams. Every moment is precious!" She tried to swipe the book away from him but he was faster than her._

" _Yeah, every moment is precious, and you're deciding to waste it on this book." He placed it on his nightstand, away from her reach, and curled up against her. Again, he placed gentle kisses on her shoulder, hoping it would ease her up from the tension she was experiencing. "You'll smash the exams, Tsuna. You always do."_

" _Dan…" she tried to protest, but his puppy face stopped her. Instead, she laughed as she pushed his face away from her. "Stop making that face!"_

" _You love this face!" He smiled so handsomely that Tsunade had already forgiven him for snatching her book away. How could she resist him? Especially when he was already so close to her again. His nose touched hers as he leaned in closer for a kiss. Their lips moulded softly, passionately, like they have been starved from it for so long. It may have been brief, but the sensation lingered in the nerves of their lips, injecting excitement in their pulses._

 _Tsunade leaned her forehead against his as they both breathed for air. "I missed you," she whispered, caressing his face ever so softly. "How was work?"_

 _He kissed her cheek a couple more times before he pulled her into his arms, making her pillow her head on his chest. "Work was… interesting." Was all he could say as he ran his fingers through her hair. He loved playing with her hair, especially when they just laid together like this._

" _Tell me more about it." She looked up at him before she placed a number of kisses on his neck and his jawline. She giggled when Dan's words felt out in a low groan of satisfaction. She softly bit into his skin to tease him before she rested herself on his chest again._

 _Dan cleared his throat to he regained his composure and footing in the conversation. "Well, we had a child today who had a heart attack. We managed to get his breathing stabilised, but we still needed to find the section of his heart that was blocked, so we could graft new vessels on around it. So, as you do, you proceed to cath lab because he needed a bypass. As we were transferring the poor boy, his mother stopped us."_

 _Tsunade raised her head. "What? Why?!"_

" _Well, the bypass requires the administration of blood. Due to their religion, they couldn't have that."_

" _But, I-I-I don't understand, isn't his blood just being recirculated? What's wrong with that?"_

" _They believe that once the blood leaves the body, it'll be tainted."_

" _Oh, bullshit." Tsunade cried. "They're willing to risk their son's life because of that?"_

" _People strongly live through with their religion, Tsuna."_

" _If that were our child, religion be damned. So long as they lived!" Tsunade's rage meant that she talked faster than her mind could process those words. So, she didn't realise how impactful her sentence was to Dan until she saw the look on his face. Oh shit. She mentioned having children again, didn't she?_

 _Dan's eyes widened at first, but he eased up the second after. Still, it wasn't fast enough for Tsunade to miss it._

 _She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, hoping she could pretend that she didn't say anything. "I'm sorry, I-"_

" _Don't apologise." Dan sat up with her and took hold of her hands. "We can't dodge this topic forever."_

" _But I don't want to force it!"_

" _You're not. I am." He softly gripped her hands as his lips curled into the softest smile she has ever seen. "I want children with you, Tsuna. God, I do." He watched as she couldn't hide her gaiety. "But," he said carefully, "I don't want them any time in the future. I want to spend my life with you for now. I want to love you and only you for now." He cupped her chin and raised her face up before he landed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Tsuna."_

 _She bit her lip before she encircled her arms around his neck, pulling him in an embrace. "I love you, too, Dan."_

" _Do you want to discuss more about this?"_

 _She shook her head. "No."_

" _Are you sure? Tsunade -"_

" _As long as having children is in the cards, Dan, then I'm fine. I just thought that you didn't have any plans on starting a family."_

" _No, I do! I do." He cradled her face ever so lovingly that she feared she would melt in his hands. "I want to have a family with you, sweetie. I just want things to be right when that happens."_

" _I understand." She kissed the palm of his hand before she eased a small but genuine smile. "We don't have to rush. We have a lifetime to plan things, right?"_

 _Dan eyed the engagement ring she had on her finger with pride. "I hope so." He smirked against her lips as he kissed her again._

" _So, was it a happy ending?" she asked._

" _Hm?"_

" _The boy and his religious mother. Did they have a happy ending?"_

 _Dan nodded. "They did. I made sure they did."_

" _How did you go around this issue?"_

" _We did a bloodless surgery."_

" _What's that?"_

" _It's a non-invasive surgical method. Where we do it off pump and operate on the heart while it is still beating."_

" _But the risks -"_

" _They didn't care about the risks. They valued their religion over the risks." Dan rested against the headboard and sighed. "Luckily, we had one of the best surgeons around. He took care of it. Had it been in less capable hands, I don't think that boy would have made it out alive."_

 _Tsunade crawled back into his arms and snuggled up against him. "I don't know how they could put their child in danger for their faith."_

" _I can't comprehend it, either." His arm was around her waist, keeping her firmly against the heat of his body. She didn't want to have it any other way. "Sometimes, people are faced with decisions that seem impossible to choose between. I guess, people choose the one they will regret the least. It doesn't mean that it's the right choice, but it's a choice they can live with."_

" _It's cruel to even think that people have to face a dilemma like that."_

" _It happens to everyone. We're not an exception, Tsuna."_

 _Tsunade gazed up at him._

" _And when that time comes for us, we'll just have to make the choice we can live with, too."_

* * *

Tsunade was back on her knees, on the floor, sobbing hysterically into one of Dan's shirts. Her tears felt like a wave from a dam that was just broken through, sending tidal waves in the areas close by. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her tears from falling. Her emotions vehemently unlocked itself from her heart, sending tempestuous waves of conflicting emotion that were strong enough to make her feel the full brunt of her actions.

She loved him, by all the Gods. She would have given herself if that had meant that he could live. She would have easily disposed of her own life for his. But that desire is something of the past - a reality she cannot change. _She_ was the one alive, not him. And so, she was given with the choice: to move on from him, or to stay true to him.

She didn't have the heart to leave him. Her tears were her evidence to this as she continued to sob hysterically on the floor. Her hands clung onto his fabric as if that were his lifeline, even though it didn't emanate the same heat as his body and soul did.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she hysterically whispered. "S-S-Sorry…. My love."

She loved him too much that she allowed the memory of him to consume her in the present. But, as much as she loved him, she knew that she couldn't allow him to take her future away from her, too. She has to stop living the life she didn't want anymore.

* * *

As the adumbral vastness of the night sky that spanned throughout the city slowly dissipated under the warm beams of the morning sun, Tsunade tied the last bin bag closed before she collapsed onto the edge of her bed. She didn't think that it would take her this long to pack everything up together, but at the same time, she didn't think she would have the guts to go through with it.

But now, as she scanned over Dan's belongings, she felt a small wave of relief wash over her. For the first time, in a long time, she felt like she was closer in getting the closure she desperately needed. Even if that meant turning her bedroom into a barren room, because all of Dan's possessions have been packed away, she didn't mind. Of course she kept a small portion of his precious possessions, but she kept a limited collection only, from his watches to his cologne, and his promise ring that he had worn when they first started dating.

She looked at the picture frame of her and Dan before she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. This was the right decision, she was sure. Even if it felt like her heart was on gasoline, being ignited into oblivion, she knew this was the correct choice for _her._

She placed their picture on her nightstand before she decided to open her curtains to let the light finally hit her bedroom.

* * *

"So you just _gave_ Dan's belongings away?" Orochimaru asked her upon coming into her apartment that late afternoon. "Just like that? You had an epiphany, and all of a sudden, you had the strength to take all of his belongings and throw it out?"

Tsunade placed his mug of tea on the coffee table before she settled down on the couch beside him with a cup of coffee. "It wasn't on a whim," she corrected. "I thought about doing this a month after his funeral. I just…. never got 'round to it."

"What finally persuaded you?"

She wanted to laugh, because she never expected _him_ to be the reason for her life-changing decision. But he was. It was his words that caused a change in herself, that pushed her to her limits. _Kakashi,_ she breathed. "You wouldn't believe me," was all she said.

"Try me."

"I'll tell you some other time." She smiled at him. It was weary, but true. Her gaze then fell back onto her coffee, seeing her fatigued reflection look back at her with contentment. Being able to let go of his possessions brought relief and a sense of freedom she has missed for the past two years. She always thought that being around Dan's items brought her the comfort she needed during his time of passing but, in reality, it only brought on more pain that she was willing to admit.

His books that were lying about, his glasses on the shelf, his shoes, his coats, his clothes, all brought her back to a time she knew she couldn't have back. Which subsequently gave her more grief than relief. Now that she has freed herself from that burden, she was able to see the sunshine over the shadows that lingered in this apartment.

"I see you're wearing it again." Orochimaru nodded at the ring she had on her finger.

By the look of surprise on her face, she must have forgotten she had even put it on last night. It was the matching promise ring she had with Dan. "Oh, shoot." She started to fidget with the ring to ease it off from her finger. "It's not like I have any use for this anymore."

"You haven't needed it for seven years, Tsunade."

She fiddled with the ring in her hand. "Has it been that long, already?"

"Time is a fleeting thing," he softly replied, keeping an eye on the ring she twirled around between her fingers. "So, why did you keep it?"

"Hm?"

"That ring you and Dan had. Why did you keep it?"

"Because it became more than just a promise to abstain from sex until we were ready. It became a symbol of our commitment to each other. When you're not even a senior in highschool, and you're dating a freshman college student, you get scrutinised. You should know how much slander Dan received because he dated me. Everyone's opinions drew us apart, made us think twice about what we were doing. I mean, a sixteen year old dating a nineteen year old is not ethical in most people's eyes…"

"Yet you persevered."

"We bought these rings to calm the doubt in our hearts. So long as we had these on, we knew that our hearts were in the right place. I didn't stop wearing this ring until after I went to college and finally lived with Dan. By then, we didn't feel the need to reassure our feelings with inanimate objects. I guess we just couldn't bring ourselves to throw these out, though."

"Are you still going to keep it?"

She shook her head. "No…"

Orochimaru raised a curious eyebrow at Tsunade as she traced her finger around the edges of the ring. "Why not?"

"This ring symbolised that my heart belonged to Dan." Her facial features softened as she became forlorn. "I-I-I can't keep that promise anymore. I loved Dan with my entire life - hell, I was prepared to spend my life with him. But I can't dedicate myself to him, anymore. Not when it means that I'll have to lose myself in the process."

Orochimaru propped his coffee on her table and knelt in front of her, placing his hand over hers in a soft caress. "Let's visit him, Tsunade."

"What?"

"You said you wanted to see him, right? Let's go over there right now."

Tsunade looked to the side as her lips pursed together in uncertainty. "I…"

"You need your closure, Tsunade. This might be it for you."

"O-O-Okay… L-Let me just get changed."

* * *

It was a 45 minute train ride to Dan's hometown - a smaller and quieter city compared to the bustling capital city of Konoha. Upon stepping foot in the train station, Tsunade felt her shoulders sag in exhaustion. Not from physical exertion, but from emotional stress. She has subjected her heart to excruciating pain for several weeks in a row like she was some sort of masochist, thriving from her own pain. She balled her fist that was in her trench coat pocket, reassuring her heart that this will be the last time she'll feel that dull ache in the centre of her heart.

It was another fifteen minutes until they reached the cemetery where Dan was buried. When they arrived at the entrance, they were overwhelmed by the gigantic black polished gates that eerily loomed over them. Tsunade took the first step into the cemetery, with the tails of her trench coat following her behind, and with Orochimaru teetering behind her shadow.

"Someone should notify the caretaker of this place," said Orochimaru, glancing over his back at the sinister entrance. "That gate doesn't exactly scream ' _welcome'_. It's also past Halloween to indulge in such a dramatic entrance."

"You're just scared of graveyards, Oro."

"The dead don't scare me in the slightest," he scoffed. "I was just appalled at how badly kept this place is."

"It's not like it's a tourist spot."

"Still, people _are_ here, you know? Not in the conventional sense, but they're still lingering about."

"And they're probably thinking that you're overthinking the whole situation."

"No, I bet they're agreeing with me. Dead or not, people deserve hygienic places."

Tsunade kept her attention forward, into the line of gravestones that were lined up in equal rows, with the more affluent people having closed off spaces for their loved ones to be buried in. That way, their gravestones wouldn't crumble over time.

Her heels crunched the dampened twigs and leaves as she continued to walk along the long gravel path that intertwined with the unkempt grass and weeds. Upon seeing the familiar oak tree, that was now without its leaves, Tsunade's pace doubled as her heart pounded with great intensity in her chest. He was put to rest _there,_ under that tree.

Once they reached his memorial stone, Tsunade's emotional security fell through as she fell on her knees and the flowers she had in her hand flattened on the damp soil. Orochimaru placed his hand on the crown of her head, caressing her caringly. "Talk to him, Tsunade. I'll give you some space." His hand left her and she heard his footsteps fade away from her.

This was her opportunity to gain the closure she needed.

"I don't know how to do this…." she whispered. "Let's see… um… Oh!" She collected the flowers and placed it in front of his grave, suddenly realising that there were already two fresh lilies placed in a thin wooden vase. She lips thinned in regret. "They must be coming here often, huh? I'm sorry it took so long for me to visit you. If only you knew - no, I think you already know - what I've been through. Still, that's not an excuse."

There was a sudden gust of wind that howled throughout the vast area, shaking the delicate limbs of the oak tree above her. She held onto her scarf as she braved through the winter winds.

"That's probably God reprimanding me for trying to find an excuse," she quietly mused. She leaned forward to neaten up the lilies and to straighten her flowers in front of his grave. With a soft smile, she ran her hand over his stone, tracing every kanji of his name with her index finger. "I miss you, sweetie." Grief and guilt coated her tongue, suppurated and tingled, as old-festered wounds opened so shamelessly in front of her deceased lover. "I…." Words left her as shame enshrouded her conscience.

The last time she was knelt in front of him was when she allowed another man into her - _their_ \- bed. She had betrayed him so quickly, that she didn't even recall it happening. What happened between her and Jiraiya was…. for convenience. For the both of them.

That said, she knew just how much Dan loathed Jiraiya. Maybe to the same degree as Jiraiya loathed him. She didn't know; he was good at keep his emotions in check, even if his eyes burned with fiery ire.

They had several arguments regarding Jiraiya, with Tsunade defending him while Dan degraded him. The fight was always left unfinished, with one side conceding to their defeat just to save the goodness of their relationship.

"You're probably ashamed of me, aren't you?" Her eyes fell downcast. "I am, too. I regret it every single day."

* * *

" _Ow-Ouch!" Dan winced as she wiped a cotton wool lathered with antiseptic against his wounded knuckles. "Tsuna-"_

" _No." She was firm, and she made sure to avoid those green eyes of his. "You… I can't even talk to you right now." While her words were cold-cut, her touch was still as gentle and warm as ever. She was not angry at him, but she was hurt._

 _Dan rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to collect his thoughts. "He started it."_

" _I don't care who started it!" she snapped. "Both of you were stupid to have started a brawl in campus! You know how I feel about violence, Dan. Yet you still got into a fist-fight with him like a barbarian. God, I-I just…"_

" _He-Hey…" He cradled her face in his palm and finally got her to gaze into his eyes. "Tsuna.. I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise. It's just… I was pushed over the edge. I thought he would wisen up over the years, but he's just grown more vindictive. I just…." It was him who looked away this time. "You're right - I shouldn't have been provoked."_

" _Why can't you guys just get along?" She kissed the palm of his hand that cradled her cheek before she pulled away from him, tending back to his wounded hand._

" _We're just…. different in every aspect. No matter what we do, we just clash. He's always been sceptical of me ever since highschool. I mean, that was alright back then; he was just looking out for you. But he hasn't changed since then. We're living together, Tsuna, and he still thinks I'm about to abandon you the next turn of the road. I-I-I just…"_

" _Jiraiya has always been protective."_

" _This is verging on obsessive."_

" _Dan…"_

 _He waited until she finished wrapping a bandage over his knuckles before saying, "He told me that he was in love with you today, you know."_

 _Tsunade's face paled._

" _I'm guessing you didn't know."_

" _J-Jiraiya…. No."_

 _Dan rested against the chair as his lips thinned. "I can still hear him saying it. It's annoying, but not surprising. I've always suspected it. He had always looked at you differently; it would always disturb me."_

" _I-I-It can't be. C'mon. He's probably just messing with you. He can't be in love with me…. It's Jiraiya! We've known each other since we were kids; he's like a brother to me!"_

" _Well, he doesn't view you as a sister."_

 _Tsunade cringed. "Oh, god."_

" _This is why I don't want you to be around him."_

" _Here we go again!"_

" _Well, we have to address this issue! He's obsessed with you, Tsuna. I don't trust him to be alone with you. Not after what happened."_

" _Dan!"_

" _And now that I know he's been pining over you, everything makes much more sense! What happened at that party between the two of you wasn't a drunken mistake, but a calculated one on his end."_

 _She scoffed but she couldn't deny his accusation._

" _You can't tell me that I can just brush it off."_

" _He's my friend."_

" _He's dangerous!"_

 _She slammed the first aid kit box closed. "I'm not just going to cut him off! I can't do that to him. He's -"_

" _Had I not returned to the room in that party, do you think he would have left you with your dignity in tact?"_

" _Dan!" she gasped, silently pleading him to not venture into that kind of topic._

" _No, seriously, do you? At first, I tried to brush it off as a drunken mistake; it was dark in that room, any intoxicated person can easily accidentally come into the wrong room. I thought that he must have slipped into the wrong room, and he didn't notice that it was you on that bed. But now…. I can't help but think that it wasn't a mistake."_

" _You're reaching." She stood up and walked away from him._

" _Am I?" he snapped, rising from his chair to pull her back around. "Wake up, Tsunade! He could have -"_

" _Shut up! Shut up!" she screamed. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. Don't you fucking say it." She had her hands pushed against his chest to keep him from coming closer. Slowly, her hands grabbed a fistful of his shirt as she bowed her head low. "Just… stop…" she pleaded._

 _Dan's eyes widened when he noticed that she was beginning to sob in front of him. Tsunade wasn't the kind of person to show her tears to anyone, even to him. With a pang of guilt of pushing her too far, he pulled her into his arms and held her. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm sorry. I overstepped."_

" _He's… my friend," she sobbed. "He wouldn't! He wouldn't…. He…"_

" _Okay, okay." He softly said, running his fingers through her golden hair. "Okay, sweetie." He bent down slightly and kissed the crown of her head before he continued to soothe her. "I just want to protect you, Tsunade."_

" _I know…"_

" _I love you."_

" _I know that, too…"_

 _He softly chuckled. "Do you hate me, now?"_

 _She shook her head. "Of course not."_

" _Then….?"_

" _I love you, too…" she murmured before adding, "idiot."_

" _I'm your idiot."_

" _I know." This time she smiled._

 _Dan sighed in relief when he saw her lighten up, even if it was just by a fraction. He swept the strands that clung onto her cheeks, and pushed her bangs back, to get a full view of her beautifully adorned face. Even after all of these years, he was still smitten about her._

 _He leaned in, and delicately planted a kiss on her lips. "Truce?"_

" _Not yet…" Despite saying this, she pulled him in for another kiss. This time, she kissed him unlike before. Her lips burned with passion and unsated fervour, while her tongue seeked for dominance over his own, dictating the symphony of their kiss. She moaned softly at the back of her throat when Dan kissed her harder._

 _He pushed her against the cabinet before eventually hiking her up on top of it. Tsunade wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him back into her. "The professors might still be here," she reminded as she pulled away from his kisses._

" _They're on that trip in the Land of Waves, remember?" He grinned against her lips before he bit into her lower lip, tugging it ever so playfully. "We only have to keep an eye out for janitors."_

 _Tsunade bit into her lip in contemplation. Only heat will calm the rift they had. Dan wasn't going to change his mind about Jiraiya, she knew. They were going to continue this argument in the future, she also knew. So, she may as well enjoy the heat while it lasted._

" _We need to be quick," she said, tugging at the belt of his pants before she unzipped him._

 _Dan hiked her skirt up, letting it bunch up around her waist, to reveal her black lacy thong. He smiled when he saw her blush. "Why are you looking away? C'mon, sweetie. Look at me." He kissed the corner of her mouth before he turned her face. He captured her lips, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, injecting her with lust and desire. "God, how can you be so sexy and cute at the same time?"_

 _His hand parted her underwear to the side before he buried two of his digits into her hot cavern. Slowly and with deliberation, he pumped his fingers in and out of her, relishing the soft moans that slipped out of her mouth despite her trying to silence herself. He knelt down in front of her and buried his mouth in her essence._

" _Dan!" she squirmed. His tongue swirled around her womanhood, tasting every inch of her wet cavern, taking what was his for his own gratification. She bit into her finger as Dan licked around her clit, deliberately teasing her. Her fingers threaded themselves with his hair, pushing him deeper into her womanhood, as he made her careen over the edge. "Dan, please!"_

 _She didn't need to plead again. He kissed her and buried his shaft into her warmth, filling her up and giving her the satisfaction she was craving for. "Oh, god." She hooked her arms around his neck and buried her face into the crook of his neck, ensuring that her moans were muffled as he fucked her into oblivion._

" _Tsun-ade," he grunted, thrusting his hips forward to bury himself deeper into her womanhood. He felt her muscles clench around him, making him groan out in deep ecstasy. He rolled his hips forward again before he pulled back; his thrusts grew long and hard, often hitting her sweet spot in the right angle in each succession._

" _Don't stop. Please. Don't stop." Hazel eyes met evergreen, both equally lustful, before she crashed her mouth into his in a ravenous kiss, trying frantically to find her own orgasm before he reached his. "Dan-!" She could've screamed had she not placed her hand over her mouth._

 _He had pulled her to the edge of the cabinet, hooking her legs over his forearms, before he filled her with his swollen member once more. Hot-white sparks sizzled through her nervous system, exploding and overriding her own senses, as she became consumed by her lover's heat inside of her. Waves after waves of sensation over took her body, leaving her to cry out her pleasure without any concern if a passerby heard her._

 _She rewarded him with another kiss loaded with pleasure and the taste of her sex. "Stop."_

" _W-What?" he weakly whispered, lost in the moment, not wanting to stop._

 _She pulled his member out of her with a low groan. "Let me pleasure you. Let me make you feel good this time, sweetie," she purred against his ear as she stroked his sensitive member._

" _Get on your knees."_

 _Dan leaned on the cabinets and watched his lover kneel in front of him. She stroked him gently, then faster, running her hot tongue on the length of his cock, circling around his tip with deliberation, like it was candy against her lips. Hard candy. She looked up at him with eyes of a seductress as she sucked him, long and slow. Then harder until Dan's composure came crashing down with a groan._

 _He gritted his teeth as she took his entire length into her mouth, licking the underside of his cock as she slowly pulled him out of her. He ran his fingers into her hair before he grabbed a fistful, forcing his member back into her mouth, taking him deeper than she ever has before._

 _He gathered her loose tendrils into his fist as he mounted her faster than he intended. Her lips held tight as her tongue continued to taste every inch of his member. After a few more pumps, Dan pushed Tsunade in until her nose was pressed up against his stomach. With sudden bolts of electricity coursing through his body as he felt his climax, he released his pleasure into her mouth._

" _S-S-Sorry, Tsunade, I…." He was caught off-guard when she swallowed his essence like it was a treat._

 _She smirked as she licked the excess from the corner of her lips. "Not bad."_

" _Oh, you…" He pulled her up on her feet and kissed her again._

" _Truce," she said against his lips._

" _Hm?"_

" _We're now truce."_

" _Oh." He chuckled._

 _She buckled his pants back up before she neatened her skirt. "We should head on home."_

 _Dan embraced her from behind and nibbled onto the cartilage of her ear. "And do this again?"_

 _She laughed. "I've got work to do. So, no."_

" _Tsunade…."_

" _Hm…?"_

" _You know that I trust you, right?"_

" _I hope so."_

" _Well, I do. I just want you to be safe."_

 _She placed her hands over his, and she leaned back against his body, relishing in the warmth of his presence. "I know." She turned around to him and cupped both sides of his face. "I'm yours, Dan. No one else's." Not even Jiraiya's, she wanted to add._

 _He leaned his forehead against hers, mirroring her soft smile. "I'm yours, too. Forever yours, Tsunade."_

* * *

"Thank you, Dan. Thank you for loving me. For making me love myself, too. Know that whatever happens, a part of my heart will always be yours. No matter what. Half of myself died with you, and the rest of me has to keep living in this cruel world. And I have to move on if I want to live for my own sake."

She reached into her pocket and retrieved their promise rings, placing them beside the bouquet of flowers she got for him. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you forever and always." She leaned against his tombstone and kissed it.

She slowly stood back up, squaring her shoulders to keep her strength. "You once told me that we'll experience a time where we are given two options that are impossible to decide between. That we can only be human by choosing the path we can live by."

She took a step back from his memorial stone. "Well, this is the path I have chosen to live by." The path she knew she will regret the least."

 _Goodbye, my love._

* * *

A/N: The thought of this chapter has kept me up tonight. So, I decided to give in and write it all up in one go. All the while, coffee-deprived and sleep-deprived. This chapter is off my chest now; I can finally go to sleep. While my heart is content, I know my brain is going to hate my tomorrow morning when I have to go to work. XD Oh well, this is the path I choose.

Sorry if there are more typos and mistakes than usual. Also if the flow is off, and if this chapter is mediocre, you know why.

Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Chaos is a Ladder**

 _Monday morning…._

" _For today's weather forecast: rain and gales throughout the whole day in the western Konoha. Afternoon rain will soon clear from the southeast. As for the coast of…."_

Tsunade idly stirred her hot cup of coffee as she waited for her porridge to cool down. Being tardy wasn't in her nature, but she couldn't find it in herself to sleep peacefully last night. The ache still festered in her heart - like an old wound that was pried open. She couldn't find her peace until it was sunrise; she was surprised that she even responded to her alarm clock.

She was already late for homeroom, so she didn't see the point in rushing to her workplace. Her next lesson will be in the period after break, anyway, so she had ample time to prepare for that.

She brought her breakfast over to her couch, placing her warm cup of coffee on a coaster. She mixed the honey with her porridge, still waiting for it to cool down. The thought of skipping the day all together lingered in her mind, but she knew that she had the obligation to offer her students most of her time before their winter exams came. While that was partially the reason why she was about to get up in the morning, it was her promise to Kakashi that made her begrudgingly leave her bed.

She had marked his paper last night. A part of her expected it, from the look in his face when he gave her his paper, but another part of her wanted to deny it. Kakashi Hatake had failed his paper, despite attempting to answer all of the questions.

She knew that he was in a pit filled with responsibilities, but she knew that shouldn't warrant him from receiving special treatment from her. He failed her class, so he'll have to miss some of his swim meets to make up for his failed grade. As much as it pained her to do that to him, given that his competition was around the horizon, she knew she had to do it.

She sighed. The thought of seeing his face knit in sadness, pained her. God knows he was experiencing a lot of that pain, already. But she had no room to play favourites; she'll fail who didn't meet her criteria, and he didn't. So, he _failed._ Maybe Mei was right. Maybe she did play favourites, after all. She wouldn't agonize about giving her other students bad grades, but it was different with Kakashi.

He was….

Her phone started to vibrate against the glass coffee table, startling her. As expected, the caller ID was from the headmaster. She had forgotten to call in that morning, so it didn't surprise her that they were probably creating a manhunt for her.

She answered her call. "Hello?"

" _In case you haven't noticed yet, Tsunade-sensei, you are late for your homeroom class."_

She pinched her nose bridge and lightly exhaled. "I'm sorry, Sarutobi-sensei, I was caught up with a lot of personal issues last night. I promise this won't happen again."

" _You better make sure that it doesn't. We can't have teachers slacking off, especially during the preparation of the students' winter exam. You do know that the grade they'll get from this coming exam season will constitute to 50% of their final grade?"_

She rolled her eyes. He's making it sound like she had missed the entire week of lessons, when she's only missed homeroom. And everybody knew that homeroom wasn't all that important. "Yes, Sarutobi-sensei. Again, I apologise. I'll make sure I'll be in before my lesson starts."

" _Alright, Tsunade-sensei. I'll let this one slide, so long as you're in time for the next period."_

"Thank you."

The line was immediately cut off. She sighed and continued to mix her porridge together, finally realising that it has already cooled down.

* * *

" _Alright, the National High School Swimming Championship is in three weeks time! Remember that, and remember it well. We can't be messing up this late in the game; we need to stay focused and determined! This is the year we get that cup back, understood?"_

Kisame's words thrummed in Kakashi's mind as he propelled his body through the body of water, slicing delicately with precision into it per stroke he made with his limbs. With every breath he took in, his mind chanted for him to go faster, to exceed his limits.

The water cloaked around him until he felt that he was miscible with it. He no longer felt resistance against his body, and his mind finally reached its equilibrium state where irrelevant thoughts were replaced by his heightened attention to his movements in the water.

This was the only time that he truly felt free of his burdens. In the water, he didn't have to worry about his academic success, or the financial strain he was trying to claw out off; his mind was devoid of anything apart from his form in the water. His powerful limbs cleaved into the water as his rhythmic strokes became more consistent.

The perception of time was also a forgotten notion in his mind, as he focused all of his energy and thought into refining his form in the water. It wasn't until he felt the familiar warm sensation ebbing at his muscles that he finished his laps. He leapt out of the water and removed his goggles and cap, releasing his water silver tresses.

He walked over to the bench where his fellow teammates were, swooping down for his drink and towel before he walked over to their coach. "Could you keep the doors open afterschool, Kisame-sensei?" he asked as he chugged down his energy drink.

"I could, but I think you've done enough for today, Kakashi." His response was curt. He didn't even bother to look up from his charts to see the look on his face. "Why?" he added, still not averting his attention from his chart. "Are you having troubles again? Is that why you want to keep practicing today?"

Kakashi ruffled his hair with the towel, mussing it up more than usual. "Sensei, I need this. I'll only do one hour… and a half! I won't go beyond that."

"Kakashi, you need to rest. I can't have you injuring yourself before the tournament. We _need_ you." Kisame finally looked at him, showing no signs of easement in his features. "I know you have a lot going on right now, but I won't let the possibility of you injuring yourself come to fruition."

"I just…"

"I _know._ "

He rested his hands on his hips and clicked his tongue. "I've got to get changed. I need to head to my next class before Senju-sama arrives."

"Oh, has she finally come in? I don't believe I saw her in the staff room this morning."

"She wasn't in homeroom, but the Headmaster reassured us that she would be in for our lesson."

"You better hurry along, then. I've heard that she doesn't take tardiness well." His lips turned in a smirk as he revelled in the sight of Kakashi _actually_ hurrying to get showered, so he wouldn't be late for his next period.

Once Kakashi had excused himself from his practice, he idly walked past the the incoming students who were walking against his direction. After a series of shared apologies and jostlings, Kakashi finally made it to the science corridor. Unsurprisingly, no one bothered to show up early in class. Kakashi lugged his messenger bag on his shoulder and proceeded to walk into Tsunade's classroom, half-expecting her to be sat behind her desk, marking papers. But she wasn't.

Kakashi sat in his seat and grabbed his Icha-Icha Makeout Paradise out from his bag. This was the third serialised book Jiraiya had, and it was part of the trilogy of Icha-Icha. Since it has grown in popularity since its first book, Kakashi had to line up for minutes on end to get the first-edition copy of this book, to ensure that he secure a copy. It was a shame that he missed Jiraiya during his book signing; he could have gotten _the_ ultimate edition in his collection had he made it in time.

He flipped the book from where he left off and proceeded to scan the pages at his leisure. He supposed that if this lesson ended up as a free period, he wouldn't mind just staying in this room to catch up with his favourite novel.

Just as Kakashi was about to turn the page, a handful of his classmates strolled in the classroom, all equally dumbfounded at how empty it was. They all looked at Kakashi and then around the room before they all huddled together in their circle.

Kakashi shrugged them off, knowing that whatever it was they were doing wasn't worth his time. He continued to get into the depths of the main character's mind, and how his dynamic with the main heroine had bloomed into " _something more than friends"._ "Oh, Haruhi, you idiot," Kakashi whispered to himself as he was flooded with conflicting emotions in the scene where Haruhi profusely denied the possibility that the main guy was in love with her.

"Oh, dude! No way!"

"Yeah! One of the seniors shared it on their page!"

" _What?!"_

"Lemme see, lemme see!"

Kakashi's eyes drifted from his book to his classmates who were clamoring about over the cellphone screen. He lowered his book slightly and arched his eyebrow at them. What the hell were they doing? Just as he was about to lean forward from his seat, his phone vibrated in his blazer pocket. He pulled it out and looked at his messages. It was from Shizune.

 _Shizune: I'm sorry I couldn't meet up with you during break. Let's try again at lunchtime?"_

Kakashi swiped the message to " _mark as read"_ and pushed his phone back into his pocket. He knew damn well why she couldn't meet up with him, and that wasn't due to circumstances she couldn't control. She just _chose_ to run away from him. She has been doing that since that night, so he wasn't surprised to see that she was _still_ doing it.

He placed his feet up on his table and buried himself in his book again, trying desperately to ignore the rambling thoughts he was having of Shizune. A part of him wanted to message her back, but the stubborn part of himself scolded at his " _weaker"_ counterpart. He was too prideful to become desperate in wanting someone's attention. He has already extended his invitation out to her, anyway. It will be up to her to take it. He was not going to chase her this time.

A few students were starting to come into the classrooms, all sharing equally relieved expressions on their faces when they saw that Tsunade wasn't in yet. Some sat in their seats while others decided to congregate around the three boys, to see what the big deal was about.

Emi, who was in the inner circle, passed the phone around to the newcomers, grinning as he did so. "I told you it wasn't a rumour! It's one-hundred percent real."

Kakashi kept himself reined in his seat, but he was morbidly curious as to what they were squabbling about. His attention then shifted when the metal door scraped against the floor. It was Shizune, with a few of her girlfriends. Kakashi's eyes trailed back down onto the letters of his book, but he was aware that she was staring at him.

She sat in her seat for a moment, but she looked perturbed as she fiddled with the ends of her blazer. Was she contemplating in coming over to him, he thought? Again, he feigned disinterest in her when she finally shot back up on her feet.

She _was_ walking to him until the circle of her classmates also caught her eye. She gazed at all of their cellphone screens and immediately grimaced. "What the hell are you guys looking at?" she gasped, putting her hands on her hips. "You're going to get into trouble with what you're doing!"

"Come on, Class Rep., we're just sharing some hot news. Sharing is caring, amirite?" Emi replied with a scornful smile plastered onto his face. "Do you want me to send you the link, too?"

"No! I don't want that!"

"Ah, shame."

Now, Kakashi was _really_ intrigued. He closed his book and looked directly at Emi. It wasn't even a second until the blond pompous bastard shared eye contact with him. "Kakashi! I bet you'd want to get in on this!" he said as he eagerly waved at him to come closer.

"Kakashi, don't." Shizune warned.

But Kakashi was already closing in the circle. "What?" he asked.

"Look at your inbox," Emi winked. "This is the link that has been hitting the school like a storm."

Kakashi opened his inboxes and clicked on the link he was given. It took a while to load, with the bar stalling at 75%. He sighed as his patience grew thinner by the second. "Can't you just tell me what this is?"

"It's better if you _see_ for yourself."

"Kakashi, you really shouldn't. You could get into trouble for clicking onto that link." Shizune insisted. She was easing herself beside him now.

"I just want to see what this is." The bar rolled to 100% and it sent him straight to a home page. Just as he was about to scroll down the page, he stopped. "What the hell…?" His lips pursed together and his eyebrows knitted in disdain.

"Hot, right?" Emi gleefully watched as Kakashi's face fell from its stoicness. "The seniors started digging into Senju-sama after that model, Mei, came by. Turns out our biology teacher was more risqué than we thought. I mean, look at all of her lingerie shoots! There are dozens of them. Pretty cool, huh? People in social media are sharing it and everything."

"Take these pictures down, Emi." Kakashi quietly said.

"Why?" He scoffed. "Listen, they were already out in the internet. People just found them, put them all in this website and shared it. What's the big deal?" There were small murmurs of agreement from within the circle.

"These are on a _porn_ website, Emi!" Shizune scolded.

"Isn't it where it belongs?" Emi nonchalantly replied, crossing his arms behind his head as he rocked his chair about. "Anyway, why are you agreeing with Kakashi all of a sudden? Are you guys back together?"

"Well…" Shizune looked at Kakashi who was pinpointing his glare at Emi.

"No, we're not," he said, matter-of-factly. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is you sullying a teacher's name! Why the hell would you do this?"

"It wasn't _entirely_ me! It was mostly the ones in the last year! They were the ones that dug it up. I just helped them a bit, because they asked me. I was bored, that's it. And besides, who wouldn't want to look at these? Senju-sama always spouts self-integrity and all that bullshit during homeroom, but look at her doing all of this shit! It's _filthy._ "

Kakashi looked back down at his phone and saw all of the new comments flooding in by anonymous accounts. He wished that there would be one comment who wouldn't condone something like this, but all of them were the same - profane, vile and misogynistic. Each and every comment just licked his ire into ablaze.

"Which seniors set this up?" he asked, now looming closely to Emi. By this point, the people who were huddled up in the circle had retreated back into their original spaces, to avoid the conflict that was inevitably going to happen.

Emi guffawed out loud before he gazed up at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Just tell me who they are."

"No way, man. I'd be dead meat if I told you." He got off his chair and pushed his face close enough to Kakashi's. "You may be popular here in school, Kakashi, but these guys are _more_ than you can imagine. You can glare at me all you want, but you're not going to touch me. Because if you mess with me, you mess with them. I'll let your smart-ass words slide from this morning, but I won't tolerate it any longer."

Kakashi smirked. "You coward. So, you're going to get up on a high-horse because you have become a lackey to one of the senior years? _Pathetic."_

"What did you say?!"

"W-Wait!" Shizune slotted herself between the two, putting each of her hand on their chests to keep them from coming at each other. "You shouldn't fight!"

"He's the one starting it." Emi snarled. "I don't even know why he's getting all huffy about it. It's just for fun. Unless he's lost his dick and he can't wank off, anymore."

"Emi!" Shizune gasped.

"Isn't that what you said, Shizune? That he didn't last a minute in bed. Shameful, isn't it?" Emi grew smug as their classmates gawked at Kakashi with mixed expressions. "It appears that you're just overhyped shit, Kakashi. You can't even keep your dick in without cumming too fast."

Shizune turned to him, clutching desperately at the lapels of his blazer as she looked at him with an apologetic expression. "Kakashi, I swear, that wasn't' what I said. I didn't even tell him about that!"

"You didn't, but word travels fast. Your girlfriends aren't exactly secretive. What else did they say, again?"

"Emi, stop!"

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a twist, Class Rep." He shrugged as he acclaimed his victory. "Silence doesn't suit you, Kakashi. I don't believe anyone has ever made you so speechless. Maybe you now see what I was saying. These pictures of Senju-sama were created at her volition. We're simply just enjoying them. You should check it out sometime. You can practice your endurance on these pictures. It's pretty hard, to be honest. Have you seen her tit-"

Kakashi shoved Shizune to the side and made his first swing at Emi. His classmate managed to evade his attack, but he was shoved against the desks. He quickly rolled behind the desk and pushed it against Kakashi, making sure that there was a barrier against them. His triumphant grin was now replaced with trepidation.

"What's the matter with you, huh?!" He spat, keeping the desk against him.

"What you're doing is defamation of character. You are making her out to be something she is not, for your own sad entertainment! Anyone with morals will say that this is bullshit!"

"Well, by the looks of it you're in the minority, Kakashi! Have you read the comments?" His grin resurfaced into something more eerie. "Everyone is thinking this. Everybody wants to see this. _You_ also want to see this; you're just in denial about it. You can't tell me that you've never looked at her in that way before."

Kakashi's grip on the table tightened. Did he also possess the same lewd intent as these people? Did he feel bound to her because he was _physically_ attracted to her? No, that can't be it. What he had with Tsunade was more than that. He has grown to understand her in ways these people couldn't begin to comprehend. His innate protectiveness over her didn't stem from his desire to also bed her, but it came strongly from his heart.

She was _more_ to him than he would admit.

"Remove the pictures, Emi." He growled.

"God, when will you shut up?! You know that I won't do it. So, why do you keep persisting? I guess having a shitty cripple dad makes you retarded!

The entire classroom fell into deathly silence after he spouted his insult. Everyone knew he had gone too far, included Emi himself. His sweat meandered at the side of his face as he witnessed Kakashi's face fall into deep ire.

"That's enough!" Shizune tried to remedy the situation again. "The teachers are going to be-"

" _Stay out of this, Shizune!"_ Kakashi vociferated as he thumped his fist into the table, splintering it slightly with raw force.

She instinctively retreated when she witnessed the hell that was in Kakashi's eyes, surging forth and aiding him with the strength he needed.

"He-Hey, man. I didn't m-m-mean it," Emi stuttered. "Listen, I know your dad is fucked up in the hospital right now. Wait, shit. I didn't mean to say it like that." He cowered away from the desk and began stepping back to the doors. "H-Hey, come on, man. This is just all fun and games, right? I didn't mean to shit-talk your dad."

Kakashi set his desk aside and stepped closer to him. "You just don't know when to shut your mouth."

Emi looked out to the hallway several times before he finally made his stand. "Well, you know what, I'll take my apology back. Because it's true - your dad is a cripple who probably can't even piss straight. That's why he's back in the hospital, right?"

Kakashi stopped mid-step and arched his brow. "Who told you that?"

"Where else? Got it from Shizune and her friends."

"What?" Kakashi's eyes widened as mouth was left hanging. He looked back at the raven-haired girl. "You told people about what happened to my dad?"

"S-She did!" Emi exclaimed. "They even made comments how they could - and I _quote -_ "only wish that you won't end up becoming a spaz like your father"."

"Is that true?" he softly asked Shizune. "You ridiculed my father in front of your friends? You even told them about my father's current condition?! I thought I could trust you…."

"You can! I didn't say those things about your dad, Kakashi."

" _But you didn't defend him, either!"_ He snapped.

"Your girlfriend is sly, Kakashi! She hasn't told you half of the things they have said. But it's true, isn't it? About your dad? He's a fucktard. Guess that makes father like son."

* * *

"We should have barbeque after school!" Rin eagerly proposed to Obito, Kurenai and Asuma. "Look! I got a deal saying that we could eat for half-price from six pm! We should go and have a little catch up session with the group."

"But we catch up every time in the cafeteria." Asuma drawled as he scratched his head, pondering if he'd even have enough money to cover him and Kurenai. Even after his extra shifts, he was still broke. It would be embarrassing to have to ask Kurenai to split with him again, since he had already asked her to split with him on their last date.

"I'm down for it," Kurenai said.

"Me, too!" Obito chimed in after he was finished with his mobile game.

Asuma rolled his eyes. "Fine," he huffed, "I'll go, too."

"You could be a little bit more enthusiastic about it," Kurenai said as she gave him a side-eye.

"I am excited!" he swiftly lied with the biggest smile he could afford. "Look! _See."_

Kurenai giggled. "You're such a dork."

"All that's left is Kakashi." Rin said.

"Do you think he'll bring Shizune if we ask him to come with us?" Obito asked. "No offence but I don't want her in our group. Not as a regular, anyways."

"She's Kakashi's girlfriend. Of course she's going to become a regular," Rin quietly said. Her words were spoken with deliberation, and she evaded everyone's stares at her because she knew that she's too easy to read. It still hurt her to see Kakashi with someone else, but she was working on it!

Asuma also pulled a face along with Obito. "Yeah, I like Shizune and all, but I'd prefer her _out_ of the group."

Even Kurenai pulled a face. "I don't see her long-term, either."

"Y-You do-don't?" Rin asked.

"No. It's obvious that only Kakashi is making the effort in their relationship. It's tiring for him. With everything on his plate, he doesn't need another chore. It's like Shizune is testing his loyalty for her, but that's only because she's insecure about having him as her boyfriend. She's afraid that he's just going to find someone who's better. It's quite a toxic dynamic, if you ask me." Kurenai shrugged.

"What she said." Obito and Asuma said at the same time.

"Where is Kakashi, anyway?" Kurenai then asked.

"He went to practice. He also said that he's going to catch up with Shizune straight after."

"No, Shizune stayed in the canteen the whole time. Kakashi wasn't with her, either. Maybe he's already in class." Obito suggested.

"Maybe."

"He might be reading his porn books again." Obito laughed at the thought of teasing him about it later.

"Yeah, or -"

Just as they arrived in the science corridor, they saw Emi crashed into the wall adjacent to their homeroom's door. Shortly after, Kakashi stomped out of the classroom and was ambushed by a couple of last year students who tried to peel his hands off of Emi.

"What the fuck?" Obito gaped.

Kakashi struggled in the hands of three other people restraining him and getting a good swing at him. He proceeded to elbow the student who restrained him from behind, making him ease his grip off from him just in time so he could dodge Emi's attack.

"Hey! Hey!" Obito got in the middle of the fight, purposefully standing in front of Kakashi to stop the catastrophe. "Stop fighting! We should -" Before he could finish his sentence, a powerful jab forced his head sideways. He touched his bleeding lip and and chuckled. "That's cute. A suckerpunch. _Real cute._ Too bad you punch like a bitch!" He retaliated with an uppercut that sent the senior onto the ground.

"Asuma, stop them!" Run cried.

He shook his head. "Fucking troublemakers." However, instead of acting as the mediator of the fight, Asuma added more fuel into the fire by jumping into the fight, himself.

"Right, that's it, we're getting one of the teachers!" Kurenai said, taking Rin with her.

* * *

Tsunade had to grab a cab to ensure that she wouldn't be late for her class, and that she was at _least_ a few minutes minutes early. That way, she was sure that Hiruzen wouldn't be all up in her face about her tardiness. He'll let it all slide like he had promised. Well, she hoped so, anyway.

She walked through the hallway filled with students on their break, bustling past each other so that they could get to the cafeteria, the library, or out in the yard. Nearly each student she passed stopped for a second to give a slight bow and a small greeting - a casual obeisance. She returned a small smile their way before she busied herself with making it into the general staffroom.

She suddenly gasped when she felt someone nudge her from behind. She staggered for a moment before she got her footing again to glare at the man. "Orochimaru!" she growled.

"Why were you late, Tsunade-sensei?" he asked, resting a hardcover book on his shoulder as he wore his default - idle - expression. "It is unlike you to be tardy."

"I couldn't sleep." She continued to walk her direction, and Orochimaru decided to follow. "I think it's because I was unsettled at how the apartment looked when I got home - it was so empty, it felt colder than usual. It was a wakeup call, you know? Dan's really not here, anymore."

"No one expects this journey to be easy, Tsunade. Give it a couple more nights, you'll get used to it. If not, you can stay at my place for a while. That way, you won't be reminded about how empty your apartment is."

"Get used to it, huh?" she muttered. She supposed that was the _only_ thing she could do. She just had to adjust into things, and hopefully she'll be able to pick up her stride again. Just one step at a time, she thought. So long as she doesn't look back, then she'll find her light at the end of the tunnel.

"Hey, why won't we have a get together tonight? With our co-workers."

Tsunade grimaced at the idea. "I'd rather drink alone."

"That's no fun, Tsunade. Listen, it'll be a small group. We can invite Shikaku, Kakazu, and maybe even Minato." His lips curled mischievously upon mentioning the athletic's coach's name. "You remember Minato, don't you?"

"Oro…" she warned lowly. "Stop trying to set me up with him. He's clearly not interested, but you're persistence is forcing him to interact with me. I don't like it. And neither does he."

"Sometimes people need a little nudge in the right direction," he reasoned with a shrug. "I see no harm in it. After all, he's a good man. You might even end up liking him if you put in some effort in getting to know him. Come on, Tsunade, give him a chance. It'll take your mind off of things."

She sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine," she groaned, relenting to her friend's wishes. "But I'm only doing this for you!"

"You keep telling yourself that." He winked at her. "You're going to thank me in the future. You and your libido."

"Orochimaru!" she hissed, pinching his arm discretely enough that the bypassers didn't see her attack him. "Don't talk about things like that so freely in the hallway! God knows I already get enough attention from students and the other staff members. I don't need more gossip circulating about the school."

While Tsunade tried to keep her attention away from the gossip radiating around school, she couldn't help but pry in ones that concerned her, especially when it was from students. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that she had a handful of lustful boys sitting in her class, practically eye-groping her figure. Since puberty, she has grown accustomed to receiving such lecherous attention from unwanted men. It came to no surprise that the same was happening in a classroom filled with adolescent boys in the middle of their puberty.

Despite her accepting this fact, she wasn't comfortable with it. Who would be? Here she was trying to teach, to help them through their exams, and there they were, having lewd imaginations of her, and then whispering it to their classmates like it was some sort of chinese whisper. She felt violated, sure, but even after filing a complaint to the headmaster, nothing was achieved. Again, she was put to blame for the attention she received from her students - and her fellow staff.

She just had to develop a thicker skin in order to hustle through her day, because there was nothing else she could do.

"Ignore those perverted comments you hear, Tsunade." Orochimaru said, asserting a more serious tone in his voice. His face was unreadable at that moment, but Tsunade could see past his facade - he was livid about the whole ordeal. He was always like a big brother to her, very protective and sometimes overwhelming. She knew that this problem affected him, too, whether she liked it or not.

"I try," was all she said whilst keeping a straight face to the students. Just then, she saw one student gaze at her from head to toe. She had to clench her jaw to stop herself from spinning around to give him a piece of her mind. She could be wearing tunic and she'll get leered on. It didn't matter if her outfit was form-fitting or not, she would still receive criticism, especially by her older colleagues.

"This is just another sign that you don't belong here, Tsunade. You need to go back to med school. Being a teacher is not your field. It shouldn't be! You belong out there, saving lives, not being at the receiving end of bigotry and lechery from a place like this."

"I'll think about it. I'm not ready to go back just yet, but it is in the cards, Oro." He was right, as always; her passion resided in physiology, and how the amalgamation of cells lead to the formation of organs and tissues. She belonged in the world of learning, not in the realm of teaching. But she has a contract she needs to fulfil, and it was agreed that her contract will expire in the last month of the school year.

Besides, she needed the money. While the income of a teacher was not on par with a doctor's salary, it was still a steady amount to keep her from drowning in debt. All she needed to do was to focus on her job, to filter out all of these gossips that seemed to ricochet around her.

She heard Orochimaru click his tongue in annoyance, making her snap her head up to see him glaring at a pair of senior-year students. "Did you need anything?" he growled, low and dangerously, side-stepping away from her slightly so he could get close and personal with them. These students were going to be in his class after this short break.

The two nervously looked up at him, shaking their heads profusely, as they quickly pocketed their phones.

"Then why are you standing here, blocking the way for the other students?"

"Um… You see, Orochimaru-sensei…." The teen glanced up at Tsunade and then back at Orochimaru, his blushes turning into flustered streaks of anxiety. The serpent's eyes were burning deep into his skin.

"Class is going to start soon. You better make the most of it." Orochimaru leaned back and took a step back to Tsunade's side.

"Ye-Yes, Orochimaru-sensei!" They hurriedly bowed and immediately dashed down the hallway.

" _No, running!"_ Orochimaru curtly reminded them.

They stumbled against each other, but they didn't look back. "Ye-Yes, Sensei! S-Sorry!"

"Was that necessary?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow up upon inquiry.

" _Highly._ They need to know their boundaries. I cannot have them leering at you for prolonged moments, and not let them taste a little bit of consequence. While most of the boys here are harmless, there are a handful here, Tsunade, who can be dangerous." He glanced down at her, to observe the nervousness that instilled in her features. "You have to keep in mind, they're almost _adults._ Don't think you can just sweep this under the rug. It can escalate, you know."

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I know…."

"You need to keep an eye out, as well. You should know this by now." He stopped and gently ushered her to the side, against some lockers. "I'm going to be truthful here, alright? It's only because I love you; I'm not doing this to frighten you. You're an incredibly attractive woman, Tsunade, even I'll fess up to that - and sometimes beauty is a dangerous thing to have. You get unwarranted attention - and danger can lurk within that attention."

"Orochimaru…" she whispered, biting her lip nervously. She didn't want to hear more about what her inner voice has been chanting into her head.

"These kids have the potential to cause harm. Just remember that, okay? If this persists, Tsunade, we _need_ to take action. The headmaster will need to be forced to do something about this." He leaned against the locker and folded his arms. "If we weren't in the school campus, I'd give you a hug…" His eyebrows knitted together as he looked at her sympathetically. "Hey, hey, don't look so worried."

"How can I not be worried after what you've said? How am I supposed to react, Orochimaru? Am I supposed to be leaping in joy because underaged _boys_ are attracted to me?"

"I'm just telling you to not be so carefree, that's all."

The bell started to ring.

"I've got to go." Tsunade turned around and walked ahead of Orochimaru, doubling her paces so she could finally confine herself in her classroom. As she climbed up the stairs, she couldn't help but hear a small chant up in the science block, along with a ruckus of people scuffling against each other. She hurried up the stairs and, just as she feared, a crowd blocked the hallway to her classroom.

From the looks of it, a fight had broken out. As she approached the crowd, a few students began to murmur about her and they parted like the Red Sea to let her through. She stomped through the parting crowd and shouted, " _What the hell is going on here?!"_

A pandemonium ensued despite her appearance, with the combatants ignoring her inquisition as they continued to pummel each other's faces into oblivion. Her words even fell deaf on Kakashi's ears as he busied himself in punching Emi's arrogant smirk off his face.

The bystanders were like moths to a flame - they were entranced by the chaos those boys brought into the science block. Dozens upon dozens of phones were pointed at them, videoing and livestreaming it from every single angle. There was no way that she could control something this tumultuous, especially by herself.

She looked back at the fight when she heard Kakashi indignantly shout at Obito when he pushed him away from Emi. "Enough, Kakashi. He's done."

"That little shit is still fucking smiling!" Kakashi growled.

He tried to push past Obito, but the Uchiha stood his ground and kept him from coming at the other student again. "Hey, hey, let it go, man. Let it go!" Obito tried to soothe, keeping his hands on his shoulders. "He's done. Okay?"

Kakashi's jaw was clenched tight as he tried to steady his harsh breathing. His dominant hand clenched and then unclenched several times, as he was contemplated whether or not he should land another blow to satisfy his growing ire. She didn't like seeing him like this. No. This was a completely different Kakashi..

The chemistry teacher, Deidara, came rushing through the crowd, also stunned upon seeing Kakashi amidst the chaos. He looked at the crowd who were still glued onto the floor, all morbidly curious as to how this ordeal would end. He cleared his throat before he sternly snapped at them, "Hasn't anybody heard the bell?! Go to your classes! There's nothing to see here!"

"Breathe, Kakashi. Just -" Obito was suddenly blindsided by a sharp hook punch which sent him onto the floor.

"Obito!" Kakashi tackled the guy against the wall before he threw a heavy cross punch on his jawline.

"Stop this right now!" Deidara firmly ordered as he tried to break up the fight, promptly pushing Asuma and Obito to one end of the corridor, to stop them from following Kakashi's idea.

Tsunade quickly followed his example and tried to separate Kakashi from the senior year, but she was shoved to the side when another student charged at Kakashi with unreputable force. She crashed against the other student who instinctively shoved her away. This time she wasn't so lucky in finding her footing as her ankle gave in and the stiletto of her heel snapped.

"Tsunade!" Kakashi swooped in time before her face met the floor. He swept her hair off her face and lamely smiled as he scrutinised her broken heel. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Y-Yeah. S-Sorry. I-" Before she could finish her sentence, a person's knuckles connected to Kakashi's face, making his entire body ricochet to the side. Tsunade fell out of his grip but Obito came in time to keep her on her feet.

A sudden impact was heard before Kakashi's body was floored. Both Tsunade and the infirmary nurse ran to check up on Kakashi. Tsunade rolled him around and saw a gash that cut deep into his eyebrow bone. "Kakashi, Kakashi?" she caressed his face as she tried to check his consciousness. "We need to call an ambulance! He's bleeding profusely; I can't see where this wound ends or begins!"

The nurse scrambled onto her feet to get the first aid kit.

"Holy shit…" Obito murmured as he watched Kakashi's own blood stain the left side of his face.

"Deidara-sensei!" Tsunade implored. "Call an ambulance!"

"On it!"


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you HollowWorld :)

 **Chaos is a Ladder II**

Even after the paramedics arrived on the scene, Kakashi anchored his hand in between Tsunade's fingers. He was severely disoriented, with nothing but darkness in his vision. His lips trembled, spilled incoherent words that only Tsunade could comprehend. It was evident to everybody at the scene that he only trusted her. Not even the paramedics could ease his apprehension. Kakashi kept a tight grip on her hand, leashing himself to her.

"Quickly, we need to bring him to the hospital." One of the paramedics murmured, urging for the other to yank Kakashi's hand away from Tsunade's. But with his acquaintance's reluctance and Kakashi's stubbornness, it proved to be a lost cause.

"Just let me come along," Tsunade finally suggested. "I am a doctor, too."

They exchanged glances for a moment before they relented and allowed her to jump into the ambulance with Kakashi. Upon admitting Kakashi into the emergency department of the hospital, a vacant doctor was able to entertain his wounds.

Since Kakashi had slipped back into unconsciousness, Tsunade was finally able to let go of Kakashi's hand. The false strength she had fuelling her muscles faded and she slumped against the wall in the corridor. She looked at her hands - bloodied and shivering - and saw flashes of the past. Of _Dan_.

She stormed into the closest toilets and hurriedly washed the traces of blood off of her skin. She scrubbed harder against her skin until they felt raw. A lump in her throat formed as she stifled her soft cry. She could still see the phantom traces of blood lingering in the crevices of her palms. She pumped more soap onto her skin and washed her hands again and again. Each motion became harsher - more aggressive - until her skin felt raw from the friction.

" _We're losing him."_

" _Doctor Senju! Doctor Senju!"_

" _Tsuna…?"_

Her eyes snapped wide open as Dan's face morphed into her consciousness, and she lost all the strength she had reserved in her extremities. She fell onto the toilet floor and curled up in the corner, whimpering and sobbing helplessly as she was bombarded with images of her failure. One memory flitted into her mind, each one of them simpering at her confidence and pride as a doctor. She had the knowledge, yes, but she didn't have the ability to practice that exercise anymore.

Her trembling hands balled into tight fists as she tried to gain her composure. But with each deliberate breath she took, it was harder to regain equilibrium of her mental state. She was fighting a battle she has never won in, and she knew she wouldn't be triumphant this time either. Her nails imprinted themselves into her skin as she clenched tighter.

Her ears were ringing with the sound of the heart monitor flatlining as she recalled her trivial efforts to bring him back to life. She covered her ears to muffle the deafening noise she was surely hallucinating.

" _Don't go, don't go, don't go!"_

" _Doctor Senju, that's enough! He's already dead!"_

Tsunade's laboured breathing eased as she recalled looking up at the clock to log Dan's time of death. She doesn't remember anything beyond that other than carrying out the necessary procedures after the death of any patient. She remembered being disconnected from it all that the reality of Dan being dead didn't impact her until she woke up to an empty bed, the next morning.

She even tried to look for him for a moment, because she had purposely locked the last memory she had of him away from her conscious, before reality finally dawned on her.

Tsunade hesitantly got up from the ground, and stabilised herself back on her feet by clenching her hands on the sink. She looked at her reflection again and saw a distasteful version of herself staring back at her. She looked back at the palms of her hands, relieved to see that the specks of blood no longer lingered in her vision.

She sighed in relief.

Her body felt like it was on fire when she saw Kakashi's blood seep out from his skin, but she feigned her strength for his sake. She couldn't fall apart when he relied on her the most. But that didn't change the fact that she was afraid of the sight of blood.

Tsunade's breathing finally reached equilibrium and she was able to rationalise with her thoughts again.

It was clear now. She isn't fit to be a doctor, anymore.

* * *

 _1 hour later…._

Tsunade was nestled up on a chair beside the bed Kakashi was lying in, idly flicking through the pages of a fashion magazine she had found in the reception. Every once and awhile, she would look up to check up on him, but his condition has remained the same since he was admitted - stabilised.

Once she was finishing browsing through the magazine, she placed it on one side and approached the side of his bed. She stroked the strands of his hair away and inspected the stitches that were etched into his skin - all nineteen of them. Given that Kakashi slammed face-first into the sharp, jagged corner of a pillar, it wasn't a surprise that he sustained such a deep wound.

He was coming in and out of consciousness on the floor, bleeding, and severely disorientated. The only reason as of why she was hauled along with him to the hospital was because he was insistent on it. He held her hand, even when the paramedics came. Even after she has had the time to relive the situation, she was grasping for answers. Why did Kakashi trust her so much?

She sat closer on his bed and placed her hand over his. "You're going to be alright, Kakashi," she whispered with a small smile. By the looks of it, apart from having a concussion, Kakashi didn't sustain any severe damage - well, apart from that scar he'll certainly have in his brow bone.

After a few moments, Kakashi's hand twitched and it curled around her delicate fingers, intertwining his fingers with hers as if they were pieces of a puzzle. It was hard to tell if he wanted to speak, or if he was trying to smile, but his grip on her hand grew steady. He slowly opened those onyx eyes of his, and he quickly found her in his vision.

"...They let you," he said, low and quiet, but enough for Tsunade to hear him. The edge of his lips tugged upwards into a soft smirk.

"Of course they did. You were throwing a fit when they tried to take you away." She brushed the strands of his hair away from his eyes again. "How are you feeling? Do you want me to get the doctor?"

He shook his head as he squeezed her hand. "I want to be alone with you for a while."

"Okay." She sat herself on the edge of his bed and attentively looked at him, analysing every bit of emotion his mouth refused to say out loud. "You can always talk to me, Kakashi. No filter, remember?" She caressed his hand as her thumb drew circles on his skin, putting his nerves to rest without having to utter another word.

Again, she eased a smile that calmed his distress. Kakashi had always hated hospitals since he was a little boy. Back then, he was coming in and out of this place, because of his poor immune system. And then he started walking back in these white halls because of his father. Now, he's here because of his poor sense of judgement.

He knew that he should have stayed more collected, but he couldn't let Emi run his mouth like that. To talk about his father like that, to let him degrade Tsunade's femininity like that. Even though his mind had calculated the risks and how the odds didn't favour him, his heart wouldn't let him feign composure. He loved his father too much to let Emi demasculinize him. And he….

For the first time, his breath caught when he looked up into her hazel eyes, gracing her porcelain complexion with a golden touch. He hadn't realised how tantalising her eyes were, how deeply alluring those pools of copper were, and how he often lost himself in them - in _her_ \- until now.

It was as if her eyes were the doorway into her soul, and he had unknowingly obtained the key for it. He saw shades of her that she didn't show anybody else - he witnessed the pain she had locked behind those eyes of hers, - and he embraced every single bit of it. He has unknowingly, but also acceptingly, melded with her broken image.

And he didn't mind. They were both broken. Some of their pieces have already found each other, forming a new picture they didn't think would be possible.

His gaze fell down onto her tainted lips. They were coated in a dark berry tone today. She may have purposefully coordinated with the wintery season and the upcoming Christmas holidays, he thought. They were certainly more striking than normal. And he was certainly a fool to notice it. He shouldn't be dwelling on her like this.

Since when did she become prominent in the crevices of his heart? When did his vices hold his heart hostage when it came to her? When did he start depending on her like she was his lifeline? He has always been alone. When did he accept her by his side?

 _When?_

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess," he murmured with a doleful expression, eyes downcast away from her. "I shouldn't have acted so impulsively. If I hadn't, you wouldn't be _here_ wasting your time."

She redirected his gaze back onto her when she tipped his head up by his chin. "Don't think for a second that this is a waste of my time. _You_ are not a waste of my time. Far from it, Kakashi. It has always been you who have been supporting me. Now it is my turn to do the same for you. So let me, okay?"

Kakashi forfeited, and with a sag of his shoulders he gave her the reins. He leaned back on his bed and looked at where her belongings were. "I'm sorry about your heels, by the way."

"Oh, don't worry about it. They were my cheap pair. Had it been my designers, then we'd be having a little word." She said playfully. She then pulled his hand up and inspected the wounds he sustained. Her lips fell downwards as her eyebrows knitted in worry. "You shouldn't act so carelessly, Kakashi."

He hated seeing that look on her face. "I'll try," he said. "Stop making such a sad face; you will start having wrinkles." He sat up and leaned closer to her, gazing so intently into her eyes. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

 _What are we?_

"Promise me, Kakashi." Her voice was hushed. It was as if she was afraid of conveying her worry out loud for anybody else to hear, but she was comfortable enough to allow him privy to her raw emotions. "I don't want to see you like that again - seething with uncontrollable hatred. It's not you."

"You're pretty confident that you know me." A small grin played on his lips. Had it been there for a second longer, she would have swiped it off his face. But it faded quickly when he read the emotions she tried to keep at bay.

"I am." She spoke with resolute as her eyes flickered up to meet his. "Unless what you've told me were all lies?" While she sounded steady, there was a worried undertone that carried in her voice. As if she was afraid that there may be an alternate truth to what she has seen in him.

He hunched over to her, closer now, with their breaths prinkling into each other's goosebumps, and he guided her hand over to the middle of his chest. "My heart is steady. With you, it is always at ease because I can be myself. I am unfiltered when I'm with you, Tsunade. I can't trust anybody else. Not after…."

 _Shizune._

The revelation still ran deep just like an antiseptic wipe against a fresh wound - its sharp sting radiated outwards into every fibre of muscle he had. It _hurt_ to know that she wasn't as candid as he thought she was. He was trying to open up to her, because he thought that she could be trusted. If Tsunade can be trusted then surely she could be too, right?

 _Wrong._

His classmates were not supposed to know about his life. They didn't have the _right_ to know about his family crisis. He wasn't a magazine column that is displayed for everybody's sad entertainment. Well, that was before. He was now the fucking headline in the school. There will be dozens of twisted concoctions of what transpired between him and Emi by the time he returns to the school halls. People will be looking at him differently, he knew. But he didn't care.

So long as the people he truly cared about still stood by his side. So long as…. Tsunade believed him. He was content.

Tsunade pulled her hand back from his chest and instead placed it back onto of his hand. "You still have your friends, don't you? They were really worried about you back there. If they could have pushed their way into the ambulance, I'm pretty sure they would have."

Kakashi chuckled, low and quiet but genuine. "I know - it's just not the same with you."

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi looked back at their hands and then back at her. This was completely unorthodox - verging on controversial. He shouldn't be finding comfort in a woman like her - his superior, his senior, his _teacher_ \- and she shouldn't be complacent around him. These were the same thoughts that rambled inside his head when he saw her at the garden. And yet, despite knowing the wrongness of their relationship's nature, they remained all the same.

"I…. I'm just different around you. That's all." He bowed his head in shame as he began to resent his innate desire to be close to _her._ He should be pining over Shizune, wanting her back, contemplating on forgiving her because she was his girlfriend, but his body didn't feel any of that desire. Every thought, sensation and _desire_ that eclipsed his mind was of the woman in front of him. And he hated himself for it.

He shouldn't be dragging her down with him. She's just entertaining his juvenile desire to feel important, to feel like he matters. She wasn't feeling anything he was, surely. After all, she was an adult and he was just a teenager. How could she find refuge in someone as inexperienced and naive in life as him? He can't provide her any wisdom, any comfort to anything.

He was just taking advantage of her charity.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly, still running small circles on the back of his hand with her thumb, as she looked at him intently with those smothering eyes of hers. "Kakashi?"

"What am I to you, Tsunade?"

The intensity of his question made her flinch. She looked away, purposely to avoid his questioning gaze, and breathed steadily through her lips. "You're….. my worst nightmare."

"Huh?" Kakashi's eyebrows knitted together into a frown.

"You opened a chapter of my life I said was finished. You have made me do things I thought I would never do. You made me fear about _wanting_ to live again." She looked back at him, this time with the intention to relay the genuinity of her response. "I don't know what you are exactly, Kakashi. What do I call you? A confidant? A friend? Or are you just my student? I can't label you, because I have never felt this way about anyone before. And I think you know by now that I hate confusion, but _you_ are the source of that. That's why you're my worst nightmare."

Kakashi throat ran dry at the image of Tsunade shedding a new layer of vulnerability. Her tone was steady, delivered with deliberation, and her eyes - those fiery eyes of hers - were unwavering with genuinity. She meant every word she spoke, felt every dilemma she has internalised, and projected them to him without further contemplation. She trusted him just as he trusted her. He wouldn't have ever guessed that they would form such a valuable mutualistic relationship in a million years. But it was undeniable now, she was…..

"What am _I_ to you, Kakashi?" she then asked, reaffirming her quiet tone.

His brain became a sponge upon comprehending her question, and he began to shake his head. "I… don't know." He has actively refused to entertain his thoughts about her, purposely not allowing himself to wallow about her for too long, because he knew that he will just regret it. He liked where they were, but he was also fearful that he may just be in too deep in the tumultuous sea with her.

"I see…."

His lips were drawn tightly together as he scowled at her unreadable expression. Was she secretly relieved or was she as disappointed as he was in himself? He couldn't tell since she hid her expressions so well; she was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve.

He hunched back over to her and mustered up the courage to say the words he had locked into his subconscious: "The truth? The truth is I don't know what I feel about you, but that's only because I force myself to not think about that. And the reason why I don't want to think about you is because I don't understand what _this_ all means. I have never seeked out for you, wanted you, or even looked at you in the way you'd think, but there's this pull I feel when I'm with you.

"I-I-I can't describe it, but I know it's not natural to feel this way, especially for someone like you - you're my teacher for fuck's sake! I have never felt like this for anyone, too. I have never relished in another person's warmth as much as I have with you." His hand held onto hers securely as if he was afraid she was going to pull away. "Forgive me, Tsunade."

She wore a quizzical look on her face. "Forgive you for what?"

"For rambling so much. I-I-I bet I'm not making any sense. J-J-ust forget what I said. Seriously. I…. Even I don't know what I'm saying. S-Sorry." He tried to laugh it off, but he winced when he palmed himself in the face. Due to his frantic and flustered behaviour, he accidentally pushed his stitchea against his open wound.

Tsunade instinctively moved and pulled his hand away from his face. "You will aggravate your wound!" She inspected his stitches, drawing closer than she would have liked, until she was confident he didn't snag any of it off.

"I shouldn't have pushed the boundaries as much as I have. If I hadn't, we wouldn't be in this morally grey area, where we are nothing but confused." He laughed so pitifully just to fill the silence between them, but it worked against him as it intensified the deafening stillness in the room.

"Don't apologise for anything, especially when you're only doing it because you're a coward," she gently chastised. "Everything that has happened in our lives and between us happened for a reason. We are not in charge of this, Kakashi. Like you said, we do not actively pursue each other and yet, fate has its way of bringing us together at our darkest times. Our hearts are malleable, susceptible to the influence of external forces, and that shouldn't make us feel guilty of the feelings we have built up for each other. We are _human,_ after all."

Tsunade looked back at his hand but refrained from reaching out to him. "I mean, it's not like we are romantically involved, right?" she continued softly, fluttering her eyelashes up at him.

Kakashi felt a lump at the back of his throat as he couldn't form any coherent - or _human -_ words to reply to her. Instead, short rasps escaped from his lips as he grew more flustered.

Tsunade laughed. "I'm joking, Kakashi. I think we already know the answer to that."

He eased a smile of relief. "Y-Yeah…"

"But I am grateful to have you in my life."

"I am, too."

"Now, you need to rest well so you can still compete in that swimming competition of yours." She asserted a lighter tone as she shuffled off the hospital bed, diffusing the pungent tension that coiled around them. She crouched down on the floor and rummaged through her bag before she pulled her phone out. "It's about time I return to school. Will you be alright here?"

Kakashi nodded but his eyes wavered downwards. Even if it was the briefest moment of vulnerability, Tsunade's keen observation caught his dejection and she huffed. She wrote something on the small notebook she had and ripped it out before she slipped it on the table beside him.

He looked at her questionably, but she brushed him off as she slipped back into her heels, making do with the broken heel she had. After she had buttoned her coat closed, she gave Kakashi one last smile. "Take care of yourself, you hear? I want you back in shape - _pronto_."

Kakashi did a casual salute with a small grin on his face. "Yes, ma'am," he said almost mockingly.

Once the door closed behind her, he reached for the note.

 _If you ever need to talk. I'm only a phonecall away._

Underneath that was her personal cell. Kakashi looked up towards the door, half-expecting her to trudge back in to take the note back. But after a few minutes of waiting, Kakashi concluded that she didn't make a mistake in giving him this. He chewed his lower lip in anxiousness, but after a while he reached for his phone that was place beside him.

He typed in her number, but decided that it was best to put her under a different name. After constant backspacing and re-adding emojis several times, Kakashi settled with, _Tsu._ It wasn't the most discreet name to have but it was a safe option.

 _Kakashi: Hey, this is my phone number. :)_

He decided to bite the bullet and message her his number. It wasn't even a couple of seconds until he saw that she was typing on the other side.

 _Tsu: Great! I've added you now._

Kakashi found himself staring at their conversation, already feeling perturbed about it. While this wasn't helping with his nerves, it did help with his gaping sensation of loneliness in this confined space in the hospital. Knowing that even though she was far away, she was close to him, gave him an odd sensation of relief.

Besides, this was just a text message. There's nothing wrong with this, right?

Tsunade hurried back to her place to get a new pair of heels before she returned back to her workplace. Luckily, she was just in time for lunch break. That meant she had enough time to print the test results, revealing a list of students who have passed. Unfortunately for her, she had more students who had failed her class than those who have passed. She knew that with the holidays coming up, students had other priorities in their books, but she wasn't going to provide a moment of easement for them.

They will all have to do more hours afterschool to hone their skill in the topic area she has assessed them on. They will then resit their test, with a new set of questions, and Tsunade will decide whether or not to take further measurements with any students.

As she organised herself in the general staffroom, she was greeted by a friendly face she hasn't seen in quite some time. Minato approached her at the photocopier machine with a extra cup of coffee in his hands. "Hectic day, Tsunade-sensei? Here, I thought you'd need a little pick-me-up."

She kindly received the mug of coffee with a small smile. "T-Thank you, Minato-sensei."

He looked at the sheets of paper that were being printed out. "So, how many of your students passed their mocks?"

She huffed and with a sag of her shoulders, replied: "Not enough."

He grimaced. "That bad, huh? Don't worry about it, Tsunade-sensei, every other teacher has been having the same problem. It's as if the students have gotten together to make it more difficult for us teachers."

"How many passed your test?"

"Not a lot, too," he confessed albeit in a lighter tone than hers.

"What do you do to those who fail?"

"Oh, nothing much." He took a sip of his coffee before he grinned. "I only make them do 10 laps in the field."

Tsunade's face paled in disbelief. She didn't expect for someone as gentle-looking as Minato to have such a sadistic torture method, especially while wearing that dangerous grin on his face. He relishes in torturing his students, doesn't he?

Minato chuckled lightly. "I'm only joking, Tsunade-sensei."

"Oh." She eased a small sigh of relief.

"I make them do one lap per mistake they make."

" _What?"_ she shrieked. Was that even legal?

"My test is only 20 marks," he said further. As if that seemed any better. "Sometimes, to instill discipline in people, you need to drill the punishment into their heads. That way, they are less likely to slack off in the next test."

"So, you're conditioning them?"

"That's a way to put it. Yeah."

Tsunade shivered at the thought of being in Minato's class. He must be a tyrant on the fields, holding a whip for those who didn't meets his standards. She could just imagine it - and she grimaced at the thought of it. She never pegged him as the sort, but his soft features are horrifyingly deceptive.

She gathered her printed sheets together and put them aside in one pile. All she needed now was print sheets for the next class. As she pushed the button to print the next batch, she couldn't help but feel Minato's eyes on her, practically leering at her every movement. His eyes, that encompassed the purest shades of the sea, captured her. She'd thought she would have figured him out by now, but she was still at a loss. Even after gazing back at him, she was baffled to only meet uncharted regions in his eyes - unfamiliar and unreadable.

"What are you doing tonight, Tsunade-sensei?" he asked, quiet enough for only her to hear but loud enough for her to comprehend.

She had to look back at him twice. "W-What?"

"We're going out drinking. Would you like to join us?"

"Who's " _we"_?" she asked.

"I don't know yet. I'm just trying to convince you to come out with me." He smiled meekly, like a child trying to act innocent. She has just caught him in his plans, and he didn't have a Plan B to cover himself.

"Ah.." A ploy to ask her out to a casual date. She overestimated him. He isn't as suave she as thought. She walked over to her desk to get a box of pins out for the corkboard in the science corridor. Minato followed closely behind her, waiting patiently for her response. After gathering her printouts, she began to walk to the science corridor. Again, Minato followed her, sticking by her side.

"We can split the bill. You know, so that it's casual." He then added. "I just…"

"Why not?" she said. "It's just a casual meeting between two….. acquaintances."

He frowned. "Not friends?"

"Minato-sensei, I hardly know you."

He chuckled. "Fair enough. Well then, hopefully, tonight will change that."

"Mhm. Perhaps." She pinned the results up as Minato held the stack of paper for her. She also put up the note she wanted to say for the students who have failed. She knew that they weren't going to be thrilled about her punishment, with some students being forced to sacrifice their practice time for their sport to attend her afterschool sessions, but she knew that it was necessary.

"Is something wrong, Tsunade-sensei?" Minato asked.

"N-Nothing. It's just….. I don't know if I'm ready to have bitchy students in my class." She huffed. "They're going to make life harder for me, I know it. I'm just debating whether or not I should even put myself in that situation."

"You really care about these students," he said fondly. "These hours you're sacrificing are your own personal hours, too. I'd be grateful if I were them."

"I doubt they'll see it like that." She unlocked her classroom door and allowed Minato to come in to drop her printouts on her desk. "Thank you for your help, Minato-sensei."

He smirked. "It's no problem, really. It's nice talking to you. I never really get the chance to."

"To be honest, I rarely talk to any other teacher. Apart from Orochimaru, of course."

"He's a lucky man."

She snorted. "You go tell him that. He seems to forget that."

Minato chuckled softly, making her smile slightly. She hasn't noticed how handsome he was when he laughed until then. It must have been the sun kissing his tanned skin, accentuating the sharpness of his cerulean eyes, and catching the sparkle of his masculine smile.

"I-I've got to go," he abruptly said after he looked at his watch. But he was quick to stop just a few feet from her, flashing another smile as he gazed down at her. His eyes flickered with interest. She has become accustomed with that kind of gaze, and she knew what that coy smirk meant. "I'll see you after school?"

"Y-Yeah." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she tried to maintain eye contact with him. "I'll meet you in the parking lot."

"Sure. See you then."

And with that he dashed off down the corridor, with a science teacher reprimanding after him for sprinting. Tsunade leaned against her classroom door and bit her bottom lip. She was actually looking forward to tonight.

* * *

Kakashi knew that this was coming, but he didn't think that it would happen so soon.

"What were you thinking, Kakashi? Getting into a fight, _really?_ Is that who you are, now?" Sachi harshly reprimanded as she paced back and forth the room. She has been unable to keep her calm since she laid eyes on him. He was sure that she wanted to rip him apart. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was the law.

"I'm…. sorry." He murmured, too ashamed to even speak up or to meet her eyes.

"Emi's parents are suing, you know, Kakashi. You _broke_ his nose! I'm covering the hospital bills and among other things to keep them from bringing this to court. I…." She pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled sharply. "I already have so many things on my plate, but I now have additional hospital bills - on top of _yours_! I thought you were more responsible than this, Kakashi! I just…."

"Mom, I -"

"Who are you, Kakashi?" she asked, but without same ounce of anger she had in her voice. In fact, her voice cracked mid-sentence as her face became crestfallen. She looked like she was grasping for answers as she continued to walk from one end of the room to another. "I just don't feel like I know you. Getting into fights? Really?"

"I didn't like how Emi spoke of dad."

"You should have walked away, Kakashi! Let them talk. Don't mind them! You do not get yourself into trouble for this! What do you think your father will say when I tell him about this? Do you think he'll be happy?!"

"I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do, mom! How can I just _ignore_ them while they call dad a cripple, a degenerate, huh? I-I…. I can't!"

"Sometimes, Kakashi, the quieter choice is the stronger choice! You didn't need to…. Kakashi, you…" She let out a sob as she hurriedly wiped her eyes with a tissue in her hand. "Something more terrible could have happened to you, Kakashi! You could have been beaten a lot worse than this. What am I going to do with both you and your father in the hospital, huh?! I-I-I can't have that! I…."

"I'm sorry, mom," he said again. "I wasn't thinking. I….. I'm sorry." He doesn't have an excuse, he knew.

Sachi sat down beside him and pulled him in for an embrace. "I'm only angry because I thought the worst case happened to you, Kakashi." She stroked through the thick tresses of his hair and exhaled once more. "I love you, Kakashi. Do you understand?"

He nodded.

"I know you feel different about me but, like it or not, I am your mother. I am meant to protect you from these things." She wiped her incoming tears away and tried her best to keep a brave front. But Kakashi knew she was breaking under all of the pressure she was in. He could see it in her eyes.

"I'm…."

"I know," she whispered. "I know, honey."

"Am I suspended?" he then asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid so….. Hiruzen-sensei told me that you will be off for 2 weeks. It should be ample time to let everything cool off, you know."

"Is Emi getting suspended, too?"

"No, sweetie, he's not."

"I see….."

"But we'll get through this, okay? Just try to keep up with schoolwork. Ask Rin or Obito for help, okay? I don't want you falling behind. And remember, when you come back to school, keep your head up high. _Don't_ mind the gossip. Don't let it affect you, okay?" She held his face up, to keep him from averting his gaze from her. " _Okay?"_

Kakashi nodded. "Okay…"

She planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "Good. Just promise me that, Kakashi. I'll take care of the rest."

"Thank you, mom."

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of recess. Tsunade busied herself by writing the topic on the blackboard as her students started coming into her class. As usual there were scraping of chairs being pulled back, bags being opened, and small murmurs from students. However, the murmurs sounded more scandalous than usual. She couldn't really hear what they were saying, but she did pick up some fragments of it.

The gossip concerned her.

That was worrying. A few mischievous giggles followed after the whisper of her name. A few pings of phones also started flowing throughout the classroom. A handful more giggles and chuckles vibrated across the classroom.

"Make sure you put your devices on silent," she sternly demanded without turning around to the class.

A few more pings occurred. This was getting on her nerves. "If I hear one more phone go off, I will confiscate _all_ of your phones and you'll have it back at the end of the day." This was a tougher crowd than all of the other classes she taught. These were seniors - the oldest group in the school. They seem to take pride in that title, as they delude themselves into thinking they are queens and kings of this school.

"That's a good one!" Tsunade heard one student say, and a few more students laughed.

Tsunade finally turned around with a scowl on her face. "That's it. All of you - bring your phones to my desk."

A handful of groans erupted.

"I gave you a chance! _Now_ give me your phones!"

They were reluctant at first, but they did give her their phones at the end. As each phone was placed on the desk, Tsunade saw some of the screen light up, showing their incoming notifications. The students immediately knew they fucked up when they saw Tsunade's eyes linger a moment longer on the screens.

"Oh, fuck," one murmured.

"I told you to turn your phones off!"

"Oh shit….. She looks pissed."

Tsunade blinked, hoping that she was just misreading what she was seeing. Or, not seeing straight at all. Some of the phones had _her_ on their lockscreen. One phone was unlocked and showed notifications of her pictures being shared, commented, and liked. Other pictures of her were photoshopped to create dirtier scenarios, with dirty annotations written all over the pictures.

 _I'd bang._

 _Perfect tits_

 _Certified porno teacher_

 _SLUT_

 _What a whore_

 _Annoying bitch, but I'll still fuck her._

 _Only good for having a dick inside her_

 _Bitch_

 _Which school does she teach? I wanna pay a visit_

 _Fake tits. Fake ass. Fake face. Anything real about this whore?_

Tsunade didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to rip these people apart, another part of her wanted to scream and shout profanity to the rooftops, but she stood speechless. What could she say? What could she do? Pictures from her modelling gigs, as risqué and provocative as they were, doesn't reflect on her role as their teacher. But they obviously didn't see it that way. Instead, they used this opportunity to slander her name across social media.

Did they hate her that much?

"I….."

The classroom was quiet at this point. The students were fiddling in their seats, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"I'm going to give you one chance to explain this to me." She finally said. "I want to know who started distributing this."

"It just started popping up in people's notifications," one student said. A few murmurs of agreements then followed.

"And no one had the _decency_ to tell me or the headmaster that this was happening? No one?!" She slammed her hand on the desk in frustration. "Am I a joke to all of you?! I am your _teacher_! This….. This… is just….. _Sick._ I am beyond disbelief that no one had the common decency to know that this is wrong!"

"I mean, you did these pictures though, Senju-sama. You should expect for people to find it." One student said nonchalantly whilst wearing that arrogant smirk. She has always disliked that boy. "It's the internet. People just troll about."

"That doesn't justify….." She lost her voice when she realised that her words were falling on deaf ears.

"I don't know what to tell you, Senju-sama, I didn't do this. And _we_ don't know we did this. Although, it's not our fault you decided to put your tits out. It's the internet - once it's there, it's there forever! You should know this, Senju-sama."

"Alright, you, _out._ "

"W-What? What did I do?" He genuinely looked baffled, which aggravated Tsunade further. He was going to play the fool, was he? "I was only stating the truth."

A few giggles, although hushed, was heard. Tsunade pinpointed her glare at the remaining students in the class. "Anyone else who laughs will be sent to the headmaster's office, _immediately_. And you will have to explain the situation to him. I am not having this. I am not going to put up with nonsense!"

The quietness of the class reassured her that she was back in charge. Good. That way she can go back to teaching. She'll bring this up with Hiruzen later. She'll just have to square her shoulders and hold her head up high, and continue like a professional. She can't let this get to her.

She opened her textbook and scanned for the page. "Right…. Turn to page 269."

Laughter from the entire class erupted.

"Bet you love that, don't you, sensei?"

The throbbing vein she had in her forehead finally burst, and she slammed her fist against the blackboard, shattering the white chalk she had in her grasp. "All of you, _out! OUT!"_

* * *

After the discharge papers were signed and he was given a new set of dressing for his wound, Kakashi was free to walk out of the hospital. But his mom insisted that they visited Sakumo before she would drive him home. Kakashi reluctantly agreed, knowing well that this was going to consist of his father giving him the same saddened eyes his mother had just given him.

To prolong the inevitable, he excused himself to the toilet and allowed Sachi to go ahead. After gaining the courage to face Sakumo, Kakashi hurried down to the ward he was kept in. Before he entered the room, however, he took a step back and hid behind the wall next to the open door of Sakumo's room.

"I see…." Sakumo said. Just as Kakashi expected, Sachi had told him everything. Well, he thought so, anyways. That was the only logical explanation for his father's exasperated sigh and weary voice. He must be tired of hearing how incapable he was at taking care of himself.

"Sakumo, I think it's time."

"Sachi, no."

"I have so many things to pay off, Sakumo. It'll be just this one time."

"We are not touching Kakashi's life savings! That is for his future!"

"How am I going to pay for your medical bills this month, then? Sakumo, _please._ I will find a way to return the money before Kakashi goes to college. Just trust me."

"And what if my surgery doesn't work? What if I'll need more surgeries in the future? Where will you get the money then? How will you return the money to Kakashi's account?" Sakumo paused for a while. "Sachi, I am not trading my son's future just so I can live a couple more years."

"Are you hearing yourself right now?"

"Loud and clear, my dear. I am not touching Kakashi's money. That's the end of it. If it means that I cannot go under surgery, then so be it. I can die knowing Kakashi's future is secure."

" _Don't!"_ Sachi scolded harshly. "Stop talking like a goddamn maniac, Sakumo! It's as if you want to die! We're so close, why are you giving up?"

"I am not giving up. On the contrary, I am more determined than I was before. But that doesn't change the fact that I refuse to use Kakashi's savings. That is for _his_ future. It is not for mine. We'll just need to find another way to fund the surgery."

"How?! I-I-I don't know how to find more money! Money doesn't grow on trees, damn it! I just want you to get better. Can't you see that? Can't you see that I am trying my hardest to keep you alive? I love you too much to lose you, Sakumo. We both know that."

"Sachi…."

Kakashi ran back down to the end of the corridor before he could hear his father's response. His mother was struggling because of the situation he put her in, and because of his recklessness and impulsivity, he dug a grave for his father.

How pathetic.

He sat himself down in the waiting room of the ward and hung his head down. How can he come in now? How can he look his dad in the eyes? How…

Kakashi pocketed his hands in his coat and leaned back against the chair, raising his chin up to the ceiling. What could he do to help? As much as he'd like to pick up more modelling gigs, it didn't work like that. And he doubts that Mei will want him in front of cameras with this nasty stitchy work on his face.

"What a mess…." he muttered.

As he dug deeper into his pockets for his phone, he felt a thick card in his pocket. He immediately remembered what it was when he saw the black card in his hand - _Dukes._

" _You want some quick cash, yes?"_

He remembered the older man who gave him this card, and how he looked at him during their exchange. He didn't know if he could trust the man, but he was growing desperate. By the looks of it, he was the real deal. The clothing he sported easily racked a good few thousand ryos. And he wasn't counting the gaudy gold rings he had flaunted about.

While Kakashi's gut told him to rip the card apart, it wasn't loud enough for his consciousness to hear. He was too desperate to listen to other options. He didn't have enough time. He needed this. No, he needed to hang up.

It was too late.

" _Hello?"_

"H-Hi. C-Can I speak to a man named Gendo, please?"

" _Can I ask who is calling?"_

"Uh… Kakashi." He doubts that man even remembered his name.

" _Alright. One moment please."_

It wasn't long until he was patched through.

" _I was wondering when you were going to call."_

Kakashi perked up. He was expecting him?

" _Would you be willing to meet me tonight?"_

"T-Tonight? I don't think…."

" _I'm only giving you one chance, Kakashi-san."_

"O-Okay! I'll be there."

" _I'll have my secretary send you the address. Remember to dress sharply, Kakashi-san."_

Kakashi frowned. "Y-Yeah. Why, though?"

" _Just come meet me tonight, Kakashi-san."_

The line was cut off without any indication.

"H-Hello? Hello? Gendo-sama?" Kakashi looked at his phone and saw that the call had ended.

This opportunity is either a blessing or a curse.

* * *

A/N: HI! Happy Holidays! I hope you guys had a good one! I meant to update sooner, but I did forget about this sitting in my documents ;P Hopefully it won't take me months to update again! :) It's all about to take off from here.

Thank you for reading!


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